mansfield2012-13

Cover Image: Present Time

Antony GormleyPRESENT TIME, 2001Cast iron 342 x 192 x 35cm© the artist, photograph by Keiko Ikeuchi

We are delighted to have on loan a sculpture by Antony Gormley entitled Present Time (2001). The just over 11ft cast-iron sculpture was installed on Mansfield Quad during April 2013 to be exhibited and open to the viewing public for the next five years. Born in London in 1950, Antony Gormley has had a number of solo shows at venues around the world. Major public works include the Angel of the North (1998, Gateshead, England), Another Place (1997, Crosby Beach, England) and Exposure (2010, Lelystad, The Netherlands). He has also participated in major group shows such as the Venice Biennale (Italy) and documenta 8 (Kassel, Germany). Gormley won the Turner Prize in 1994 and was made an Officer of the British Empire in 1997. Gormley has been a Royal Academician since 2003 and a British Museum Trustee since 2007. In Gormley’s words, ‘Present Time is my attempt to engage with the mind/body problem. It is a materialisation of embodied mindfulness. The lower form is an enclosed mass, armed like a marine mine; the upper one open with all its limbs free, embracing space. It uses the stasis of sculpture to interrupt the living time of the viewer. The stillness of this materialist proposition invites us to reassess our position in time and space.’

Contents

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Produced by the Development Office at Mansfield College

Mansfield CollegeMansfield RoadOxfordOX1 3TF

Registered Charity Number 1143860

We are always delighted to hear from our alumni and friends, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at development@mansfield.ox.ac.ukWe look forward to hearing from you!

CONTENTS/CREDITSEditors: Paul Lodge and The Development OfficeCopy-editor: Phil HarrissDesign: keikoikeuchi.co.uk

Printed by Fineprint

The Development Office would like to thank all those – students, staff, alumni and friends – who have contributed to this year’s magazine. We wish to express our particular gratitude to Ros Ballaster for her help in bringing it to publication.

Photograph creditsKeiko Ikeuchi (Cover, p2, p3, p4 R.Powell, D.Lincicum, H.Kennedy,p5 except P.Keevash, p7 bottom left, p8, p11, p13, p14, p15, p16, p17, p18, p19 top, p20, p21, p22, p23, p24, p25, 26, p30, p31, p32, p33, p36, p37 ,p39 ,p41, p48, p49, p50,p51, p56, p58, Backcover)Bob Trafford (p7right, p47, p49)Nasir Hamid and Will Vickers p28-29Courtesy of the authors (p27,p34 p42-45, p52-53)

3 PrinciPal’s Message4 news in Brief7 east range: the story so far8 Building huMan rights 10 reflections on Mansfield By Janet dyson14 froM the senior tutor15 froM the Bursar16 froM the Jcr President17 a year in develoPMent18 growing aMBitions: access 20 sPorts rePort24 charities rePort 24 Music at Mansfield 25 the c.h. dodd society26 through the hooPs to success 27 BackPacking in the Balkans 28 Mansfield college Ball 2013: atlantis 30 who needs feMinisM? 34 living with dead Man walking: an interview with sister helen PreJean 38 ProBaBly the fish-slaPPing dance: a conversation with Michael Palin 42 froM Mansfield to the Middle east 46 new york recePtion 47 1887 society 48 friends of the Boat cluB re-launch 49 telethon50 Mansfield association 52 oBituaries 54 fellows’ research and PuBlications56 2013 exaM results 58 acadeMic Prizes 59 events calendar 2014

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This is an exciting time for Mansfield College. In 2013 we embarked upon a whole set of changes that will take the College to a new place in its evolution. We are following

the advice of Daniel Burnham: ‘Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood.’ So our plans are ambitious and bold – to make the College even more beautiful, more financially stable, and ever more intellectually vibrant and successful.

The building of new kitchens, a new ‘bistro’ refectory and bar is already in train. The renovation of the whole of the Tower and East Range is underway, and a wonderful terrace is being created for outdoor events and taking the sun over a coffee. Those changes will be completed by the early Summer of 2014. Mansfield’s Governing Body undertook a review of the needs of College and the uses of our buildings, and agreed that the Chapel should take on new life, becoming the new space for our regular formal dining but retaining the capacity to be used for services, concerts and other events. The Congregationalist Church, which founded the College, was consulted and is content with this reinvigoration of the Chapel’s purposes. This change will enable us to include many more of our students in the important aspect of College – breaking bread together. And having a glass of wine!

Planning permission has been obtained for the Love Lane site so that a world-leading Institute of Human Rights will be located in the College. This project has the full backing of the Law Faculty and the University as a whole. The Institute will occupy two floors and house a stunning all-singing, all-dancing 200-seat lecture theatre that can be a cinema, and a theatrical and musical performance space too. It will also have a replica courtroom for legal practitioners to come and ‘dry run’ their legal arguments, with input from Oxford’s graduate students. The four upper floors will provide student accommodation for Mansfield students.

The Institute will conduct high-level research into the most pressing human rights issues of our times and will seek to strengthen the rule of law in parts of the world where democracy and law are fragile. It will have strong links with the major human rights NGOs and other key institutions, as well as the judges and leading practitioners from around the globe. Countries that do not have well-functioning legal systems and

safeguards for their citizens are inevitably unstable and prone to conflict and war. And they are certainly risk-laden for companies seeking to trade. The rights of women and children have little chance of flourishing when there is no recourse to law.

The presence of the Institute within the College will bring a new footfall of intellectuals and practitioners from other nations who are engaging with these challenges. The College will become a hub for discussion and debate, which will not be confined to lawyers and prospective lawyers but will draw in scholars from all disciplines. For me, human rights provides a language for one of the greatest conversations of mankind, and that is what our education system must be engaged in. The Institute’s purposes fit closely with the long traditions of Mansfield, which has always been committed to egalitarian principles and respect for the dignity and humanity of all.

The College is continuing with its central mission, which is to make an unparalleled education available to talented people whatever their background. Our success in bringing students to Oxford from across the social spectrum makes us the leading college in access. We still do better than any other college in Oxford or Cambridge and we have for three years now been in the top half of the Norrington table. A third of our students get Firsts. It is a great story but it is the result of long and hard work, visiting schools and FE colleges around the country. It demands time, commitment and a call on our financial resources. And I thank all of you who contribute to make this happen.

We all feel invigorated by these step changes at Mansfield but, of course, we need all of our great community of students, their families and our alumni to be part of it. Frankly, I need your help – in ways practical and financial. Every bit will help. Ideas for people who might share our ideals and aspirations, who could support these projects, will be welcomed too. Please do not hesitate to get in touch. You may even have a friend with philanthropic interests who would want to help us bring our ambitions to fruition. So fundraising ideas are really welcome!

I wish everyone the very best, and hope that 2014 is a truly successful and fulfilling time for us all.

welCome

Principal’s Message

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Baroness Helena Kennedy QC

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Yale Fellowship

Dr Michèle Mendelssohn, University Lecturer in English, and Tutorial Fellow at Mansfield, has been awarded the 2014 Donald C Gallup Fellowship in American Literature at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The award is in support of her research on the legacy of 19th-century British decadence for early 20th-century African American artists and writers, especially during the Harlem Renaissance.

Dublin Appointment

Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been appointed Pro-Chancellor at the University of Dublin (also known as Trinity College, Dublin). Jocelyn, a Professorial Fellow in Physics at Mansfield, comments: ‘This means I have to pretend to be a competent Latin speaker (with Protestant not Catholic pronunciation – did you know there was a difference?) and preside

at some degree ceremonies (called Commencements in TCD) when the Chancellor, Mary Robinson, is absent.’

RGS Award

At the 2013 AGM of the Royal Geographical Society, held on June 3rd, Dr Richard Powell, Tutorial Fellow in Geography at Mansfield, received the Gill Memorial Award for research on historical and polar geography. Richard is in the final year of his second term as Chair of the Society’s ‘History and Philosophy of Geography Research Group’.

Reporting Environmental Change

Mansfield’s Dr Pam Berry, Senior Research Fellow at the University’s Environmental Change Institute, is part of the group of senior scientists that has begun work this year on a series of ‘Report Cards’. These cards summarise emerging themes from

the body of recent scientific studies, to provide an overview of key trends. The work is being produced for the Living With Environmental Change Partnership, a group of organisations concerned with the funding and use of environmental research. The online, click-through Report Cards will advise policy makers, environmental consultants and researchers about current evidence. www.lwec.org.uk/resources/report-cards

Accolades for the Principal

Our Principal, Baroness Helena Kennedy, was this year elected to an Honorary Fellowship of the British Academy. The Honorary Fellowship is the highest honour that the British Academy awards for service to scholarly learning. Baroness Kennedy was also voted 2013’s ‘Peer of the Year’ by the national newspaper Asian Voice’s Political and Public Life Awards panel, which praised

her report on Human Trafficking for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Asian Voice is the major news weekly for British Asian communities, with a circulation of over 200,000.

Theological Promise

In May of 2013, Dr David Lincicum, who in 2012 was elected to the G.B. Caird Fellowship in New Testament Theology vacated by the retiring Rev Dr John Muddiman, travelled to Heidelberg to receive a Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise. The award is given annually to an international selection of ten young scholars, and was on this occasion

awarded for dissertations on the topic of ‘God and Spirituality’. As a part of the award, David will be offered the chance to propose an interdisciplinary colloquium on a relevant theological topic.

news

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Dr Howard has a BA, MSc and PhD in Economics from Trinity College Dublin. Her PhD thesis is entitled 'Spatial Networks, Clustering and Spillovers: Lessons for Development'. Her research interests are Development Economics, Applied Microeconomics and Network Analysis.

Philip Egerton has joined the Accounts Office. Philip is a Geography graduate and former primary school teacher who recently decided on a career move into accountancy.

Prof Keevash has PhDs in Mathematics from Princeton University and the University of Cambridge. He joins us from Queen Mary University of London. His research interests are Extremal Combinatorics, Graph Theory, Hypergraphs/Set Systems, Algebraic and Probabilistic Methods in Combinatorics, Random Structures, Combinatorial Optimisation and Combinatorial Number Theory.

Neil McCarthy, our new Catering Manager, was appointed early in 2013 to replace the long-serving Lynn Partridge. Neil joins us from St George’s House, at Windsor Castle.

September 2013 also saw the retirement of Dr Janet Dyson, beloved Tutorial Fellow in Mathematics, who tells us about her time at Mansfield on pages 10-13.

We were also sad to see the departure ofDr Jonathan Marchini Senior Research Fellow in Statistical Genomics, andDr Cari Morningstar Director of the Visiting Student Programme.

Departures

Dr Antoni ChawlukTutorial Fellow in Economics

Dr Chawluk retired in September 2013. Dr Chawluk joined Mansfield in 1991, when he was appointed to a Fellowship in Economics at Mansfield and a University Lectureship in Soviet-type Economics and their Transformation. He served as Dean in 1994-95 and 1996-97, and was also the Tutor for Graduates for a term in 2001-02.

new fellows

Dr Emma Howard Career Development Fellow in Economics

Prof Peter Keevash Tutorial Fellow in Mathematics

Eleanor Crawford, our new Development Officer, joined us from the University of East Anglia, where she managed the annual telethon and worked in trust fundraising.

Aparajita Kashyap is our new Alumni Relations Officer. An Oxford graduate in Sociology, she joined the Development Office in late October from a role in the Department of Politics.

Gemma Lamb, Senior Development Officer, joined the team in September with a focus on major gifts and legacies. Her background is in charity and social enterprise fundraising and development.

new staff

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Mason Lowance English Prizes Renamed

Over the past several decades, generations of Mansfield students studying English have received recognition for excellent work in the course of their studies by the award of a ‘Mason Lowance’ prize. These prizes were endowed by Professor Mason Lowance who holds a professorship at the University of Massachusetts where he teaches and publishes on American literature with a special interest in anti-slavery debates and writing.

Professor Lowance and his wife, Susan Lowance, visited Mansfield College in summer 2013, when we were delighted to agree to his request to honour the tutors in English at the College who first fostered his love for the subject, by renaming the College prizes he has so generously endowed.

John Creaser was the first full Fellow in English from 1966 to 1985, and his research specialism is in early modern poetry and drama. He also served as Vice-Principal of Mansfield. Professor Creaser retired from teaching in 2002 as Hildred Carlile Professor of English Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London; in ‘retirement’ he has returned to Mansfield, initially as a Senior Research Fellow, and now as an Emeritus Fellow.

Malcolm Parkes was appointed to teach for Mansfield in 1960, holding a full fellowship at Keble College. He taught Old and Middle English and his achievements in palaeography led to the award of a personal chair at Oxford in the field. Malcolm passed away in 2013 (see obituary by John Creaser on page 52).

Stephen Wall was appointed to teach for Mansfield in 1960, holding a full fellowship at Keble College. He taught and published in Victorian literature, and was chief editor of the important Oxford journal Essays in Criticism. Stephen passed away in 2010.

The Mason Lowance Prize in memory of Malcolm ParkesPrize for best distinction-level performance in English Prelims.

The Mason Lowance Prize in memory of Stephen WallPrize for best performance in English Finals.

The Mason Lowance Prize in honour of John CreaserPrize for best performance in English language and/or literature second-year work.

Friday Inspires When our Principal, Helena Kennedy, arrived in 2011, she immediately set about arranging for a weekly lecture series to take place during term time, every Friday at 5pm in the Chapel. Since then we have welcomed a fantastic array of speakers as part of the Friday lecture series, but also at a range of other lectures, including our yearly Hands Lecture.

In the past academic year we were lucky to hear, among many others, the science writer and journalist Simon Singh, former Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral Dr Giles Fraser, Chief of the UN’s Development Programme and former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark, child psychotherapist Camila Batmanghelidjh, and legendary TV comic, presenter and explorer Michael Palin.For information about the Mansfield Lecture Series 2014, see the College website.

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Work on the new East Range link building began in February 2013, and is scheduled to be completed in the forthcoming Trinity term. Situated in the area north of the Chapel that

borders Mansfield Road, the link building, as its name suggests, will provide direct access into both the main building and into the Chapel.

The new building will incorporate extensive new kitchen space and associated storage and staff facilities. It will also allow access to three optional dining areas – the Chapel, the current Dining Hall, and a new open-plan refectory/bar/social space that will be located below the Hall on the site of the old kitchens. The last of these will open on to a new patio in the corner of the Quad, giving College members and guests an attractive outdoor seating area.

The new kitchens will provide our catering staff with vastly improved facilities – a significant upgrade on the previous space which had been in continuous use since Mansfield’s foundation, and which had long been too small to meet the needs of our growing student body.

The project will cost approximately £5m in total, around half of which will be funded through borrowing. This exciting addition to College would not have been possible without the generous support of our alumni and friends.

Mason Lowance English Prizes Renamed East RangeThe Story So Far

Stuart Cade and Andy Matthews from Rick Mather Architects

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Although visionary, the work of the Institute of Human Rights is not a mere vision. Today, the study of human rights cuts across every discipline in the University. It

is, in the words of one scholar, ‘the common moral language’ of our times. Yet, until now, that research and teaching has not been coordinated in a centralised way at Oxford, nor has there been a concentrated effort to link the mass of the University’s research and teaching to the world of the human-rights practitioner. The Institute of Human Rights is designed to create synergy – ‘the interaction of two or more agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects’ – both within the University and in the wider community, for the ultimate benefit of both.

The IHR will act not only as an intellectual focus for the human-rights work of the Law Faculty and University, but as a physical arena for such work as well. It will have a permanent home in a new building at Mansfield College, with its own staff and sustainable funding.

As a result, the IHR will be able to: • Host and fund visiting human-rights scholars;

• Provide funding and space for clinical teaching;

• Provide funding and space for graduate students to work;

• Accommodate conferences, seminars and moot courts on topical human-rights issues.

Building Human Rights

The University of Oxford’s Institute of Human Rights (IHR) has a revolutionary vision: to act as a bridge between human-rights scholars of the highest calibre and human-rights practitioners working in a myriad of environments around the world, in order to advance simultaneously the quality and impact of human-rights work.

Principal Helena Kennedy with the architects’ model for the IHR

Nancy Eisenhauer Fellow in Law

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Moreover, by bringing academics and practitioners together within its intellectual and physical space, the IHR aspires to draw on outside resources to supplement faculty teaching in the area of human-rights law by, for example: • Offering graduate scholarships to support outstanding students with a strong interest in human rights, who would not otherwise be in a position to fund their studies from their own resources;

• Creating links with law firms and other legal practitioners working on human-rights cases, providing resources and financed internships for committed and skilled Oxford students;

• Offering placement assistance for Oxford law graduates in legal-aid firms and solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers with human-rights work;

• Further developing undergraduate and graduate clinical programmes in human-rights law;

• Assisting faculty members in creating new University course options in human-rights law.

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But why will the IHR be housed at Mansfield? Because the Fellows of the College see an opportunity not only to create a new building at Mansfield to provide additional student housing, but to enhance the intellectual environment at and reputation of Mansfield in a way that fits with the ethos of the College. Mansfield College has been, since its foundation, engaged in the practice of expanding and advocating ‘human rights’ in the context of higher education. It was the first non-Church of England college at Oxford, founded immediately after the religious restrictions were lifted in the 19th century. Mansfield’s very existence, therefore, arose out of a struggle for greater religious tolerance within academia.

Perhaps more important, the College was the first to create a successful ‘access’ programme to recruit Oxford students from all backgrounds: a programme that led the way and continues to lead the way in making higher education a real option for students from all backgrounds. And, in 2011, the Fellows of the College elected Baroness Helena Kennedy, a respected human-rights lawyer and Member of the House of Lords, as the College’s Principal – recognising that she shares a commitment not just to excellence in education, but to excellence in education for all. The IHR Campaign seeks to raise funds sufficient to allow the IHR to conduct its core work in perpetuity, but also to provide it with a permanent and custom-designed space in a new building at Mansfield College. The College will own the new building – designed by award-winning architect, the late Rick Mather – thus representing a significant asset for the future of Mansfield College and creating much-needed student accommodation, a lecture theatre, common rooms and conference facilities.

The IHR will take up one floor, providing a real space in which to expand and enhance the University’s existing human-rights research and clinical programmes. The benefit to the IHR goes beyond the ground floor of the new building. At Mansfield College, the IHR and its researchers will find a community of like-minded individuals who are anxious to integrate them into their community. And the Fellows of the College believe that having a first-rate research institute on site will enhance the intellectual atmosphere and opportunities in College for both faculty and students. In other words, the IHR at Mansfield College is a part of the vision of the College itself, to continue to support human rights in higher education in a concrete and constructive way, for the benefit of our students as well as those outside of our community.

The IHR at Mansfield College is a part of the vision of the College itself, to continue to support human rights in higher education in a concrete and constructive way.

‘’

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Janet Dyson Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics

My 36 years at Mansfield have been an exciting time, as the College has gradually achieved its aims: self governance, full collegiate status and a much more

secure financial future (though that still needs work), all within a growing, vibrant academic community. Most importantly I think we now have the confidence to go our own distinctive way, and build the college we want, without forever looking over our collective shoulder at what is done in other colleges.

In 1977 Mansfield was a Permanent Private Hall, governed by an external Council. It had no University funded posts, and minimal endowment. We survived on student fees (and, even then, conferences), and the chief method of budgeting certainly appeared to be to spend as little as possible. Indeed, when I first arrived I asked for a blackboard. What did I get? A tiny square of hardboard (maybe two-foot square), painted black. The paint had caused it to warp and the first time I tried to write on it, it fell off the wall.

Yet there was confidence. The College was expanding and, within its policy of taking reasonable numbers of undergraduates in a small number of disciplines, was moving into new subjects. Maths was to be the first science. The autonomy I was granted when I first arrived was both exciting and terrifying. There I was, a mere non-stipendiary lecturer, setting up the teaching of maths within the College: teaching the first four students, arranging other teaching, admitting the next year’s students, stocking the library, etc, etc.

The following year I became a stipendiary lecturer and then after a decade (and having produced two daughters) I was appointed as a Senior Research Fellow (a device to give me a fellowship and thus a seat on the newly created Governing Body). Then, in preparation for full collegiate status, in 1993, I was one of five Mansfield Fellows to be appointed to Special (non CUF) Lecturerships (I loved the convoluted title).

REsEARcHOne reason I do maths is because it gives me such a buzz. Nothing produces quite the buzz that one gets from successful original research. (The downside is the frustration when things don’t come out, but let’s not go there.) For 35 years, until she retired in 2009, I collaborated with Professor Rosanna Villella-Bressan from the University of Padua. Another collaborator has been Professor Glenn Webb from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and I continue to work with him (our latest paper on cell-cell adhesion has just been accepted). A collaboration that has given me particular satisfaction has been with Stephen Gourley, who is now a professor at the University of Surrey, but who was my student at Mansfield. Modern communications have made collaboration across continents far simpler. When Rosanna and I met in 1974 it was really only feasible to work by meeting face to face, and even telephone calls between Britain and Italy were difficult and expensive. The advent of fax, emails and now scanners have made it all so much easier. We tend to work with paper and pencil, so to be able to scan what I have just done and send it off is great. When this system is at its best, I work on a problem during the day, send it to Glenn in the afternoon, he does some more, returning it for me to start again next morning. Easyjet also has its uses.

coLLEAguEsFor the first 10 years of my appointment I did everything on my own, finding tutors each year to carry out the teaching I couldn’t do. Conducting admissions on my own was particularly stressful. In 1986, the late Dr Bob Coates, whose full-time job was with the Open University, looked after the Mansfield mathematicians while I was on maternity leave, and then stayed on, becoming a stipendiary lecturer in 1989. He was magnificent. In admissions I was soft cop to his hard cop. He was a fabulous teacher, and a wise colleague. When he retired in 2003, his good work was carried on by Derek Goldrei, whom I had known since we were undergraduates, and who was also a colleague of Bob’s from the OU. Derek doesn’t do hard cop, so I had to learn a new role!

on MansfieldReflections

memoir

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’For most of my time at Mansfield we have been constrained by a quota on undergraduate numbers. So one reason for taking Maths and Stats students when the new course was introduced, was to increase our maths numbers. It also enabled us to appoint a University Lecturer in Statistics, Dr Jonathan Marchini. Our students in Maths and Stats have been particularly successful: in the very first cohort, Anthony Dewell came top of the year, and Elizabeth Rae achieved the same feat a few years later. Indeed, in her year all three firsts were from Mansfield.

I am leaving Mansfield Maths in very good hands. There are two new appointees. Professor Colin Please has already been with us for a year; he works on mathematical modelling of industrial and biological problems. Professor Peter Keevash started in September 2013 and works in Combinatorics and Graph Theory.

sTuDENT succEssOver the past decade around 53% of Mansfield mathematicians have got Firsts. St John’s College says on its website that, since 1998, around 55% of its undergraduate mathematicians have got Firsts and that this is comfortably the largest proportion of any Oxford College – not so comfortable now! We have

also received a handful of University prizes, including Markus Mobius’s Junior Mathematical Prize for coming top of the year. Markus is now a professor at Harvard.

Some mathematicians are also remarkably sporty; I can’t take any credit, and I don’t understand the attractions. Dan Harvey rowed in the Oxford boat of 2012, and in the University Lightweights in 2009; and Lucy Mase-Robinson rowed in the University women’s boat, also in 2009. Valentina Iotchkova was European champion in Taekwondo, and, of course, a Blue, and we have also had Blues or half Blues in hockey (several), basketball, table-tennis, pool, etc. Frequently those with Blues also achieved Firsts.

Firsts are not everything. Mansfield mathematicians can be found on pretty well every continent (Antarctica excluded). In no particular order, there are professors, investment bankers, teachers, actuaries, accountants, statisticians, social workers, ministers of religion, police, a computational neuroscientist, many working in IT; there was a tree surgeon, but he became an accountant, I think. So to those who ask, as a recent school careers advisor did, whether there are any careers for mathematicians other than teaching, this is your answer.

We now have the confidence to go our own distinctive way, and build the college we want, without forever looking over our collective shoulder at what is done in other colleges.

‘

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THE FE AccEss INITIATIvEOnce full collegiate status had been achieved, there began the business of developing Mansfield, to reinforce its reputation and distinctive character, and to enable it to prosper in what always seem to be difficult financial times. In 1999 David Marquand launched Mansfield’s Access to Excellence Campaign. This had many strands. At its centre was Guy Hands’ magnificent donation, in which he paid off the College’s debts, thus retrospectively making substantial contributions to several recent (and much needed) buildings. The part I was most involved in was the Further Education Access Initiative.Since the beginning most of the mathematicians who came to Mansfield were from state schools, and I was recruiting mainly from those who had been rejected by other colleges. Yet our students were doing every bit as well as students from those other colleges. Therefore I knew that the University was losing out on a wealth of talent. So when David Marquand asked me to become Tutor for Admissions, I relished the opportunity of encouraging more such people to apply to Oxford and most especially of establishing the FE Access Initiative.

The Initiative was originally proposed in 1999 by a working group led by the then Tutor for Admissions, Ros Ballaster. It contained many innovative elements and has been remarkably successful. In 1999, Oxford received only 379 applications from General Further Education (FE) Colleges and the success rate for these students was significantly lower than other education sectors. The overall aim was therefore to increase radically the number of applications to Oxford from the General Further Education sector, though, recognising that many of the difficulties faced by those in General FE were also found in Sixth Form Colleges, the project was quickly expanded to include these. By 2009, applications to Oxford from FE Colleges had increased by 77% since the Initiative began, and applications from Sixth Form Colleges by 48% over the same period. The number of offers made to students in the FE and Sixth Form College sector had increased as a proportion of overall offers to the maintained sector.

When I became Tutor for Admissions I established the project and supervised it for the first four years, then Lucinda Rumsey took over and expanded it further. If the FE Access Initiative was to be successful, there would be far more new applications than a college of Mansfield’s size could accommodate, so we set up a consortium of colleges to work with us. To implement the project Mansfield raised around £140,000 from the Sutton Trust, Atlantic Philanthropies, and HEFCE; our own alumni gave another £60,000. (From 2003 each consortium member paid a modest annual fee.) With careful husbandry, we kept the project going on this for ten years.

Janet (front row second from right) at the final meeting of the trustees before Mansfield became a full college in 1995

ADMIssIoNs THEN AND NoW As a Permanent Private Hall, Mansfield was much disadvantaged in admissions. Prior to 1985 candidates could provide a long ordered list of colleges. Certainly in maths, Mansfield rarely put in an appearance on any such list, and was never placed first. There was a rather bizarre system by which a lower-placed college could offer a candidate an award and thus trump a higher-placed college’s offer of a place – except that Mansfield was excluded. So, after all the other colleges had made their decisions, we set out to search for the best of the remaining candidates. There were some very good candidates left. As I started out, having never conducted admissions before, I was advised to look for candidates from state schools. Not from any high-minded sense of equity, but because they had not been trained so well, so other colleges were more likely to miss their potential. We were not discriminating against

the well taught, but making suitable allowance. Even once we started getting first-choice applicants some of our best students were found in this way.

Admissions for Mansfield improved enormously in 1985 when the system was simplified and some of its more Byzantine aspects swept away. Awards were no longer given at admission, waiting until students had taken their first public examination. Even better, candidates could put in an open application which would then be allocated to a less popular college and thus even-up applications. After vigorous lobbying, Mansfield was allowed to participate in this on the same terms as full colleges. Finally in 1988 Mansfield became a full member of the Admissions system. But not until full collegiate status was acquired in 1995 did we move to the main part of the University Prospectus, no longer hidden at the back. Full collegiate status had unexpected bonuses.

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With colleagues Derek Goldrei, Colin Please, and Jonathan Marchini

This was a time when many colleges were starting access projects, but ours was one of the first and one of the few to last and really make a difference. We conducted careful initial research and our first temporary Access Officer, Claire Asquith, established many contacts within FE as well as starting the dialogue with both lecturers and students. The Initiative was launched by a conference at Mansfield in September 2000 for FE College Principals. This not only provided information about Oxford, but also included discussions about how application and success rates for candidates from the FE Sector could be improved.

We were extraordinarily fortunate in our Recruitment Officers. Both Janine Fisher and Helen Etty were energetic, committed and very creative. Both understood FE and Oxford well, having come to Oxford from FE colleges themselves. They visited Colleges of Further Education to meet students and their teachers, to answer their questions about the University, and to encourage students to apply to Oxford. But they did a great deal more. For example there were the Regional Forums where representatives (staff and students) from the consortium colleges would hold a one-day session about Oxford University at a designated FE college that would act as host and invite all other colleges from the area. FE students were also invited to special FE open days at consortium colleges. Our students were, as ever, our best ambassadors, telling of their own experience and generally dispelling myths about Oxford. At one of the first regional forums, I went to the ladies and overheard a group talking about how they had expected our students to be posh and geeky and they weren’t.

There were some aspects of the Initiative that were specific to Mansfield. We set ourselves a goal of raising our intake of students from the state sector to 75% (at that time it was 58%, which was already much higher than the University average of 46.1%). It has been above 70% on a number of occasions since 1999, and the average over the past three years has been 78% (in 2012 it was 84.7%). Since 1999 Mansfield has run a Freshers’ Induction Programme. We run sessions where we explain how the Oxford tutorial system works and how to get the best from it, emphasising the need for serious independent study before each tutorial. We also have sessions where successful students in higher years advise on how to develop good study skills. This helps freshers to hit the ground running, and I think has contributed to Mansfield’s improved academic performance over the past few years – though I believe the improvement also owes much to the efforts of the Senior Tutor and others to create a culture where academic success is valued.

Receiving a gift from current students at her retirement dinner

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FRoM THE sENIoR TuToRLucinda Rumsey

Mansfield has had another year of very strong academic results. We were 14th in the Norrington table, our third good year in a row, with our highest ever Norrington score and 19 Firsts, including four in Maths and three in Theology. University prizes were awarded to ten Mansfield students, including two Gibbs prizes, awarded to

Audrey Ho (History and Politics Schools) and Luke Rollason (English Mods). Katherine Danks was awarded the Johnson Matthey Prize for best overall performance in Materials Prelims. The College has 26 new Scholars and Exhibitioners, based on their recent year’s performance, and a quarter of all our current students are now Scholars or Exhibitioners.

We are very pleased to achieve these results over a period where our state-sector numbers have increased significantly. The College has had three years where admissions figures have averaged 77% state-sector offers (for home UK students) and this year our offers for 2014 were 80% state. Of our current home UK students, 53% are from non-selective state schools compared with the University figure of 37%. Mansfield has a good mix of overseas, independent-school and state-sector students, and we have brilliant students across a range of backgrounds. However, we watch the state-sector numbers carefully, both because we want to check the effectiveness of our access work, and because non-selective state-school students are the group that Oxford has for many years had little success recruiting.

As Jenny Medland notes in her Access report on pages 26-27, we spend a lot of time and money travelling to schools and colleges and staging events – despite having few resources to put into this. We are tremendously grateful to Donald

McDonald for raising money for us through his True Blue project this year. Donald has been delivering inspirational talks for companies at team-building events and conferences, based around his Boat Race experiences, and he has generously donated the money raised from his speaking engagements to our access work.

Donald is one of a number of alumni who has helped us in this way. I was struck reading the list of awards and student prizes this year how many are named after alumni and friends of Mansfield. Some of these awards are of very long standing, but others have been established in recent years. Mason Lowance has celebrated three of our former English tutors (our current Emeritus Fellow, John Creaser, and two former Mansfield tutors, the late Malcolm Parkes and Stephen Wall), in the College English prizes. The Mansfield Association has kindly agreed to fund our annual Science Prize for three years from 2014. And we are celebrating the contribution of Mike Mahony, our former History Fellow, not only in the long-standing Mahony History prize but by establishing the College termly graduate seminar in his name. Sarah and Peter Harkness’s bursary and prize have been an important focus in our access work in Yorkshire and the North East.

Antoni Chawluk and Janet Dyson retired this year. Both have made a huge contribution to Mansfield. Antoni has been a very dedicated tutor, unfailingly interested in the progress and well-being of his students and supportive to his peers in PPE. Janet’s years as Tutor for Admissions established the access work from which we are now reaping the benefit, and she has a special place in our history as our first Maths Fellow and the nurturer of countless Firsts in Maths.

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so, what exactly does a bursar do? is the question I am often asked by friends who discover that this long-serving management consultant has

metamorphosed into the Bursar of Mansfield College. A year ago, when I first contributed to this magazine, I could reasonably plead more or less total ignorance. But now I have no excuse. So, let me try to give you a sense of the rather bewildering variety of life to be found in this strange but compelling role.

Of course there is all the regular stuff – managing the College’s finances, the constant stream of problems arising from the backlog of buildings maintenance, student accommodation, catering, IT, a procession of day-to-day staffing issues, and so on. But there is also the out of the ordinary, the strange and the unexpected. For example…

Many of you will have seen the Antony Gormley sculpture, which now rises from the middle of the Quad. You may like it, you may not (and not many people are completely indifferent), but you probably haven’t ever considered what is required to install a sculpture of this kind: the loan agreement with the sculptor; the structural engineers who specify the dimensions and loading of the plinth on which it stands (it weighs over 1.5 tons); the specialist installation company, which transports it to site and erects it; the specialist insurance policy; the security arrangements; the construction of the mound around the plinth (to very precise specifications); the landscaping. I never expected to undertake such a task, and if I had, I might have thought it would be a couple of hours’ work one Monday morning. Wrong!

You will also be aware that we are building new kitchens adjoining the East Range and the Chapel, and completely refurbishing the lower East Range to create a new refectory, bar and terrace. We started work in February, and as I write (in July) we are around 30% complete – and on change-request 103. Just how many things can you find in a project of this kind that you didn’t expect when you started? Well, when you knock down walls that are 125 years old, and dig holes in the ground where holes haven’t been dug for 125 years, ‘a lot’ is the answer. In fact, 103, and counting. I now know things about Japanese knotweed (near impossible to kill and capable

of stopping a construction project in its tracks), asbestos (don’t ever, ever mess with it), the powers of Oxford City Council’s Planning Department (cannot be overstated), the impact of a 10cm change in insulation material depth (see Oxford City Planning), and a host of other things that I will doubtless forget as soon as the next issue emerges. But we are on course, on budget, and it is going to be great. Come and see the results from around May 2014 onwards, and in the meantime follow the progress at webcam.mansfield.ox.ac.uk. And if you blink and find that the film appears to be going backwards at one point, you are not imagining things – cf. the impact of a 10cm change in (wrongly installed) insulation material.

To give a feel for other things that I have found to be my job, here’s a random selection from over the past 12 months, some highly important, others just slightly quixotic: working with a team from McKinsey to develop a business plan for the Human Rights Institute; assessing whether the patch of waste land that we own in Birmingham (a carry-over from the Spring Hill College days) has any value; penetrating the endless complexities of the ways in which funding is allocated between the University and colleges (just who designed this University, I wonder?); supervising the dismantling of the Micklem Organ in preparation for its transportation to a new home in London; selecting and installing the temporary kitchens that now sit opposite the Porters’ Lodge and must serve us until the new kitchens are built; picking up the wonderful Sister Helen Prejean from Heathrow Airport very early one Saturday morning (something for which I volunteered, and for which I was rewarded with an absolutely fascinating journey back to Oxford).

I try not to bang on about all of this when I am asked what a bursar does – but I do try to give a flavour of it, which I hope I have achieved here. And I am usually asked one other question: ‘Do you enjoy it?’ Yes.

PS You are wondering, perhaps, about the current state of the College’s finances? They’re not in intensive care, but very dependent on the life-support that your generosity offers – thank you.

FRoM THE BuRsARAllan Dodd

Let me try to give you a sense of the rather bewildering variety of life to be found in this strange but compelling role.

’‘

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FRoM THE JcR PREsIDENTJoe Morris History, 2011

Being JCR President has been a phenomenal privilege, and is one of the experiences that I shall take the most pride in when I come to leave Oxford. At the time of writing, I am entering my last term as President, and will shortly be experiencing the odd sensation of being replaced in front of my own eyes. Despite the positives, it has

not been an easy ride, and I can only hope that as a Bench and as a JCR, we can continue to overcome any challenges that occur in the term to come. A large part of our ability to succeed has been down to the continued presence of our predecessors on the Bench, who have been an invaluable source of advice over the past two terms. Our sole term without them will be all the more difficult for it.

Working with such a dedicated and passionate group as the Bench has been an absolute pleasure. Although we all have different methods of approaching problems, and differing ideas of what is needed, our priority has remained the improvement of the JCR. The Bench has worked on several projects during the year, such as the establishment of an international student rep as an additional member of the welfare team; securing an extra welfare locker in a more

private location; and supervising the planting of three plum trees (the current JCR’s gift to the College), which now reside in the grass between E and G block.

Our main challenge over the year has been the on-going building work, about which I’m sure you will have heard by now. This has caused wide-ranging changes to the functioning of the JCR and to the lives of members. Yet it has also emphasised what a special community Mansfield is, and given us a new opportunity to exhibit that sense of community. The burden has not been unevenly shared. My job would have been made much harder had there been a perception that all inconvenience had been shoved on to the JCR, but all areas of the College have absorbed the changes. In Trinity term especially, the College placed the well-being of students with exams to revise for ahead of any other concerns, and has been fantastic in ensuring that building work did not prevent us from studying.

A major change caused by the construction work has been the moving of dining from the Hall (now out of bounds!) to the Chapel. This arrangement means that special, high-demand events such as the Burns’ Night and ‘formal formal’ have had expanded capacity, which has been great for those who might otherwise have missed out. Another important consequence is that the College Bar is now temporarily out of service. Hence, Balliol Bar has become our official bar in exile until the building work finishes. The Balliol JCR has gone out of its way to make us feel welcome, and our JCR members have found it extremely useful to have the space to relax and socialise in the evenings.

At first it was hard not to get caught up in the glamour of the presidency: the OUSU meetings; the constant feeling that an email had been left unsent; and the sudden need to check the wording of the constitution at 3am. One of the highlights of the role has been meeting people from across the University who are dedicated to improving the student experience – from OUSU officers to other Common Room Presidents. The weekly meetings held either at OUSU Council or at Prescom have been incredibly useful to me personally, providing a great opportunity to hear about ideas from elsewhere in the University and adapt them to Mansfield. It has been inspiring to work with the others on matters that affect Mansfield students: issues such as living out, and helping OUSU to communicate more effectively with students. Representing the JCR on a variety of issues and in a variety of contexts has been fantastic. The idea of a rent proposal was one that at the start of my term scared and confused me, but when the time came, I was passionate about the proposal and the issues contained within it. Working with other students and representing the JCR to staff and Fellows who share our passion for the College has been a complete pleasure, and one that I shall never forget.

When the time comes to hand over, I shall be proud to have worked for such a special community as Mansfield JCR. By the time I leave, the building work will be well on the way to completion, and the Bench will have welcomed a new generation of Mansfielders to the fold. It has been an absolute honour to serve this wonderful College and JCR.

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JCR Bench 2013

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These past 12 months have been an opportunity to experience my first full academic year here in

College. It has been super to see what life is like at Mansfield and to witness the range of events and activities as the terms unfold. From Freshers arriving, through to the anticipation of our students sitting Finals, and welcoming back Graduands and their families to celebrate on Degree Days – the year has been memorable.

It has been a time of change in the Development and Alumni Relations Office, with the sad leaving of Dr Justin Jacobs in March to a new role at Magdalen, and Bob Trafford, who has moved on to live and work in France. I know that many of you have enjoyed them being part of the Mansfield family and I would like to thank them both for their contributions while with us.

I am delighted to introduce three new members of the team: Eleanor Crawford as Development Officer, who joins us after having worked for the past six years at the University of East Anglia; Gemma Lamb as Senior Development Officer, who brings her

experience from the charity sector; and Aparajita Kashyap as our Alumni Relations Officer, an Oxford graduate who has recently joined us from a role in the Department of Politics. As we have welcomed an additional person to the team, we have been able to expand the size of the office to enable us all to fit in to one refurbished room – and the new space also gives us an opportunity to meet with visitors.

I have recently been asked what I most enjoy about my role. For me, it’s the essence of what is Mansfield: our students and you as our valued alumni. It’s having the opportunity to meet with so many of you over the past year, whether at the Hands Annual Lecture given by Helen Clark, our subject dinners here in College, the London and US receptions, or our enjoyable Summer Garden Party where the weather really did play its part this year.

Our recent Telethon campaign has been a wonderful way to connect our students with you – producing conversations about life in College now as compared with when you were here. We appreciate the support

many of you have shown by making a donation to much-needed funds that will enhance the student experience at Mansfield. Thank you to you all! There is more on the Telethon on page 49.

As already highlighted by the Principal, our plans are progressing for our new student accommodation and Institute of Human Rights in the proposed Love Lane Building. We shall be sharing more news of this over the coming months, detailing ways in which you can support the project to enable the building to become a reality.

We look forward to the opportunity of meeting you over the coming months, and particularly welcoming you back to College to see the wonderful new dining facilities and kitchen on completion this coming spring. We also welcome your ideas for events and how you might like to get involved with activities such as returning to College to talk about your experiences since leaving University. This greatly enhances our students’ development and helps them formulate their plans for life after Mansfield.

A YEAR IN DEvELoPMENTHelen Jones Development Director

L to R Aparajita Kashyap, Helen Jones, Eleanor Crawford, Karen Cowley and Gemma Lamb

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AmbitionsRaising the aspirations of young people who would not ordinarily have thought of applying to Oxford continues to be an important part of Mansfield’s admissions process, through our widening access programme.

Access Officer Jenny Medland reports on developments over the past year.

As part of the University-wide regionalisation scheme, each college is linked to a particular Local Authority to ensure each school has a named first point of

contact – in Mansfield’s case Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, East Riding, Hull and Doncaster. We work extensively with schools across these regions: visiting them to give talks on a range of topics, attending Careers Fairs and Teachers Conferences, giving Admissions workshops, and running large-scale events and conferences. We also invite schools to bring their younger students to Aspiration days where they have the opportunity to visit Oxford and participate in a range of events tailored to their age – scavenger hunts, academic sessions delivered by Mansfield tutors and graduate students, lunch in Hall, admissions talks, a Q&A session with current undergraduates and a tour of Mansfield and other Oxford colleges. The intention behind these events is to inform and inspire prospective applicants – to dispel the myths surrounding Oxford, and to encourage clever students to consider applying, whatever their background.

We chose Hull and East Riding as a focus of our outreach because it has been an area hard to reach. There is a low level of successful applications from schools in this region. We think in part this is because Oxford seems a long way away: both for Oxford staff recruiting and for prospective candidates, who cannot afford the fares or are daunted by the trip. In 2012 we launched Mansfield’s Access

Ambassador Scheme, which was designed to formalise the work of Mansfield’s dedicated team of undergraduate volunteers by providing them with training, support and guidance to aid them in their access work and in future work experience. The Access Ambassadors also run their own events and develop their own initiatives such as the 100 Schools Project, where undergraduates visit their old schools and discuss their experiences at Oxford. The work can be extremely rewarding, as one of our Access Ambassadors, Imogen Buchan (Engineering Science) explains: ‘I help with access work at Mansfield because I am incredibly grateful for all the fantastic opportunities we get here, and want to make sure nobody misses out on that because of misconceptions or lack of confidence.’

In 2012-13 we ran over 100 events, about 30% more than the previous year, and we have travelled from the aforementioned Hull to the Isle of Wight, working with several thousand prospective applicants. It has been a busy year as we added to our pre-existing programme of school visits with more ambitious large-scale events. In the 2012 admissions cycle, 30% of Mansfield’s UK candidates were from schools and colleges with which we had worked. We are hoping to build on this success and extend the number of schools where we have sustained and repeated contact, so the access work feeds further into successful applications.

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Growing

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NEW INITIATIvEsThe most important additions to the Mansfield Access calendar were the large-scale Regional Conferences and Academic Study Day – events aimed respectively at introducing prospective applicants to the Oxford application process, and to the academic side of University life. The Regional Conferences were held at hub schools across our regions; Mansfield staff and students volunteered their time and expertise to deliver a programme including mock interviews, taster academic sessions and subject-specific application support. The Academic Study Day, which took place at Mansfield in June, offered prospective applicants academic sessions aimed at developing their current interests and introducing them to subjects they might not have previously considered. Mansfield’s tutors ran academic sessions in English, Politics, Maths, History, Philosophy, Human Sciences, Theology, Engineering and Physics. Ros Ballaster, our English Fellow who has run several sessions, says: ‘The benefit is mutual. It is really illuminating for us as tutors to talk to potential applicants about their expectations with regard to university. And a challenge to design a seminar or workshop that gives students at school or college a flavour of the kind of work undertaken at higher-education level, as well as engaging and interesting them.’

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. As one visiting student commented: ‘I absolutely loved the day at Mansfield – especially because of the two academic sessions. Rather than hearing about the Oxbridge teaching processes, this was as close as I could hope to get to the real thing – and it was great.’ The responses have two recurring messages: that these events make Oxford seem more friendly and accessible; and that they have inspired prospective applicants to work to get good results so they can apply to Oxford. We want to continue building on these new initiatives. Mansfield students, tutors and staff will continue to work together to ensure the College maintains its reputation for friendliness, inclusivity and diversity.

oN-goINg INITIATIvEsMansfield continues to make a substantial contribution to the Access programme of the University as a whole. The Further Education Initiative was set up by Mansfield in 1999 to support students from further education institutions who were historically under-represented at Oxford. We have organised Further Education and Sixth Form Open Days since 2002, and this year saw our most popular events yet, with around 450 attendees from across the country. We also host Study Days as part of the University-wide Pathways Taster Programme, aimed at introducing students from non-traditional backgrounds to degree-level study and the University of Oxford. Mansfield Access Ambassadors have overseen the day-to-day running of these events, taking logistical responsibility for providing College tours, running Q&A sessions, assisting Academic Taster sessions and transporting groups around Oxford. Feedback has been very positive, and the days provide an opportunity to become involved in large-scale Access events, to showcase Mansfield to prospective applicants, and to allow Access Ambassadors to gain experience in event organisation.

ADvERTIsINgOn a practical level, we want to increase applications not just to Oxford but to Mansfield. So we put some effort into advertising our College. The JCR, plus the Senior Tutor and I, wrote a joint Alternative Prospectus last year, to add a more informal voice to our recruitment materials. We had 5000 prospectuses printed last year and bought 5000 Mansfield access tote bags to give to prospective applicants when we run events. We thought we had ordered two years’ worth; we used them in less than a year, and it was only when we ran out that we realised we had seen more than 5000 prospective applicants in that period!

I absolutely loved the day at Mansfield, especially because of the two academic sessions. This was as close as I could hope to get to the real thing, and it was great.

Prospective Student

I help with access because I’m so grateful for all the fantastic opportunities we get here, and want to make sure nobody misses out due to misconceptions or lack of confidence.

Imogen Buchan (Engineering)Access Ambassador

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College life

sports Report

The year 2012-13 was tremendous for sports at Mansfield. Having produced an unprecedented number of University sports captains, in both Blues and 2nds teams, we fielded more College teams (and more successful teams!) than ever before.

On the river, both M1 and W1 experi-enced a very successful year, despite hugely disruptive river conditions throughout. W1 bumped and rowed over in 2013’s Summer VIIIs, which was a vast improvement after receiving spoons in Torpids. M1, with former Blues rower Dan Harvey (Maths, 2005; now in his seventh year rowing for College!), and current member of the Isis crew,

Iain Mandale, managed to bump three times, before narrowly missing out on blades with a row-over on the Saturday of Summer VIIIs. Both M1 and W1 go into the 2013-14 academic year in their highest league position in the College’s history. We were delighted to welcome the 2003 M1 crew (who were the last M1 to achieve blades in Summer VIIIs) to 2013’s Summer VIIIs dinner, where

their support and commiserations were a welcome addition. This past year was also the first in a long time in which a Mansfield boat entered an external re-gatta, and, despite not passing the first round at Wallingford Regatta, M1 did a fantastic job on the Olympic course.

sPoRTs REPoRTBeth Collett History & Politics, 2011

BoAT cLuB

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FooTBALLIn football, the combined men’s MMFC recovered from a poor start to the 2012-13 season to finish strongly, ending up fourth out of seven in the First Division (which is, naturally, the second highest league). The men’s XI is aiming to reclaim its place in the Premier League and will take inspiration from the promotion achieved this year by the women’s XI.

RugBYSadly the M&Ms rugby team were relegated from the top division during a transitional season, with a number of new faces in the team this year. Momentum is gathering, however. Combined training with Teddy Hall led to a strong improvement in the team’s training standards, and, with several Blues players attracted by the presence at Mansfield of the current rugby league Blues Captain, Hugo Fearon (History, 2010), we are hopeful of a return to the top flight in the coming year.

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College life

PooLOur pool team performed well last season, and is proud to have fielded two players – Chris Speller (Geography, 2012), the new College Captain, and Ellie Saunders (History & English, 2010) – who have competed for the University in pool this year.

cRIckETThe last cricket season was a slight disappointment after the highs of two Division 1 titles in the past three years, as the men’s M&Ms finished ninth in Division 1. The women, mean-while, have benefited from the arrival of fresher Priyanaz Chatterji (Human Sciences, 2011), a Scottish international cricketer and now Blues player. There is every hope that in 2014 promotion to Division 1 will be achieved, and all eyes are fixed on the prospect of repeating the 2011 team’s cup-winning heroics.

squAsHWe are delighted to have fielded three men’s squash teams and a women’s team, with players to spare, for the first time in MCSRC’s history, and I personally have been incredibly proud of the training and commitment of the squad this year. With only seven colleges able to muster a girls’ team, having seven women playing for our College team is a huge achievement, and one that we hope to build on greatly next year.

HockEYMansfield’s hockey team has had phenomenal success in 2012-13, going the entire season unbeaten in League 2. Despite losing some of its strongest players this year – such as Matt Dodd (Geography, 2010), a veritable hockey legend at Mansfield – the team remains confident of a second consecutive promotion in the coming season.

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BLuEsMansfield has achieved a disproportionate level of representation in sports at a University level. Hugo Fearon led the University rugby league Blues to a huge Varsity win, while Shaan Dalwadi (Maths, 2009) this year competed in his third consecutive Varsity match, as well as continuing to lead a highly successful University team in the regional league. Iain Mandale rowed in a victorious Isis (University 2nds) boat earlier this year, and we look forward to welcoming Chris Fairweather (Geography, 2009) back into the MCBC fold (despite his having decamped to Oriel to complete his masters, he remains a Mansfield man at heart). The men’s lightweight Blues also benefited from Mansfield’s input, as Christian Proctor (Engineering, 2009) coxed his crew to victory in their Varsity race. Charlotte Warne (PPE, 2011), Co-captain of MCBC’s W1 this year, has been rowing for OULWRC and, we hope, will be competing in 2014’s Varsity race after injury kept her out of the last contest. I have been lucky enough to captain the OUSRC (squash!) women’s 2nds, which, despite losing our Varsity match to a very strong Cambridge team, looks healthy moving into 2013-14. Alex Ford and Priyanaz Chatterji both represented the University at the highest level at ice hockey and cricket respectively.

Despite being one of the smallest colleges, Mansfield has been punching way above its weight with regards to both inter-college and University-level sport. In the next term of my tenure, I am hoping to secure better funding for Blues and College sports players and teams, in particular by hosting a sports dinner for Mansfield sports players past and present. So if any of you would like to become more closely involved with supporting sport at Mansfield, look out for information on this dinner in the near future, or please do contact me, or the captain of the relevant team. Mansfield has demonstrated an ability across all sports to out-perform colleges with more students and more funding, and our commitment to encouraging all players to reach the highest level possible, and to field as many women’s teams as possible, is something of which we are proud, particularly in this post-Olympic year. We are all looking forward to another year of building upon this success.

TENNIsTennis also goes from strength to strength, as both the men’s and women’s team, captained by Nick Hooton (Engineering, 2011) and Charlotte Eynon (Geography, 2011) respectively, stormed to promotion in their divi-sions last summer.

uLTIMATE FRIsBEEA relatively new sport for Mansfield and for Oxford as a whole, has benefited from having the President of OUUF, Harry Mason (Engineering, 2011), coaching and encouraging members from across the College and the University. As with another newbie, the College Quidditch team, Mansfield players are making an impact on the college-wide and the University-wide circuit – something, as a relatively small college, we should be proud of.

NETBALLLast year, the Mansfield netball squad scored a series of consecutive victories over both the Michaelmas and Hilary terms which culminated in our being promoted to Division 1. The team really benefited from good shoot-ing by alumni and ex-captain Leah Grint and she was definitely missed when we also finally had a chance to experience the Cuppers tournament at the beginning of last Trinity.

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The Choir has had a very successful year, featuring several concerts alongside the regular services. Four members of the Choir were elected to Choral

Scholarships – Charlotte Warne (PPE, 2011), Sophie Giles (Theology, 2011), Charley Roe (English, 2011) and Alex Chalk (Philosophy & Theology, 2011). We were also joined by Becky Dellar and four VSPs who contributed hugely to the Choir: Natasha Gross (who also acted as Choir Librarian), Jordan Marks, Julia Torres and Kelly Maeshiro (all 2012). We welcomed three new graduates: Lucy Busfield (MSt Theology, 2012), Bernhard Clemm (MPhil European Politics, 2012), and Peter Bergamin (MSt Jewish Studies, 2012) who also distinguished himself as conductor of the OU String Orchestra in two concerts in Christ Church Cathedral.

At the start of Hilary term 2013, the College played host to Sister Helen Prejean, who gave the annual University Sermon (held at Harris Manchester due to our current building works, but accompanied by our Choir in superb form). At the end of Michaelmas term 2012 the Carol Service took place in our own Chapel with a wide-ranging selection of carols for Choir and congregation, including some traditional Mansfield choices, such as Lang’s ‘Eastern Monarchs’ and Darke’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’.

As ever, Mansfield is buzzing with the charitable activities of its students. The JCR hosted many events in 2013, such as a collection for a local food

bank during the snowy weather, and a film night to raise awareness during the nationwide ‘Fairtrade Fortnight’. Valentine’s Day chocolates and an end-of-year jumble sale are two of the ways in which we have fundraised for our nominated charities. Our Open Mic night with a charity twist provided an opportunity for Mansfield’s students to display their impressive array of performing talents, while raising money for good causes.

Trinity term saw a slight change in the way we fundraise. We voted to change the JCR constitution so that, as well as two other nominated charities, the community charity Aston-Mansfield will now be supported by the JCR every term. This marks another step in our ever-strengthening relationship with the east London charity, which has historic links to Mansfield. In May, a group of students once again visited the Froud Centre, a community centre run by Aston-Mansfield in Newham. We enjoyed games and delicious homemade food with the Young Achievers Group, before being let loose in the outdoor playground. A Laser Tag tournament created

much excitement among Young Achievers and students alike, completing a brilliant day with old and new friends.

Michaelmas was a busy and highly successful term. Our friends from Aston-Mansfield visited us in Oxford to hold our third annual community autumn fete in College together, which was a memorable day for all. We also made a great start in the Student Switch Off energy-saving competition, ending the term as one of the top five colleges in the University. We held a Mansfield Thanksgiving Charity Bake Off, and we also raised over £500 for JCR charities at our Auction of Promises event, with all sorts of desirable and often outlandish deeds on offer.

College life

Music at MansfieldJohn Oxlade Honorary Fellow

charities ReportRachel Cain Human Sciences, 2011

Mansfield College Choir

Wednesday evening services and lunchtime recitals have taken place in the JCR (in its new guise as the temporary Chapel) and recitalists have included Reuben Adams (Maths, 2011), Daniel Keeling (Physics, 2010), Alex Chalk, Andrew Allan (Maths, 2011), alumna Beth Whalley (English, 2009), and Osman Tack from St John’s College and Alice Coulson from Oxford Brookes. The termly concerts took place in the Chapel. Firstly a programme of Handel excerpts from several oratorios, as well as ‘Zadok the Priest’ and the Dettingen ‘Te Deum’, second a mixed programme from Rossini’s Gloria, Mozart’s Latin motet Regina Coeli, excerpts from Bach’s rarely heard St Mark Passion and Brahm’s Requiem. For the summer concert the Choir were joined by Lincoln’s Lucy Matheson and Christ Church’s Michael Hickman, for a lively assortment of Gilbert & Sullivan gems, from The Mikado, Patience, Pirates of Penzance, Princess Ida and HMS Pinafore, with many of the Choir taking cameo roles with great humour and brilliant success.

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In Trinity Term of 2012, the C.H. Dodd Society was transformed from a College association into the University’s official student Theology Society. Our inaugural lecture given by Prof N.T. Wright saw Mansfield College Chapel packed out, and the alumni dinner that followed united Mansfield students of generations past and present. Since

then, the Society has been building upon this success. We began Michaelmas term 2012 with a debate entitled: ‘Can We Dispose of Q?’. Here we saw Dr John Muddiman and Prof Christopher Tuckett battling for and against the hypothetical document ‘Q’, which it is argued may be the source of material that is common to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Whether or not one knew what Q was, it was riveting (and entertaining) to see two academics who were so passionate about a topic. Also in Michaelmas 2012 we had Prof Oliver Davies from King’s College London present a talk on his current project: ‘Transformation Theology: A New Beginning’, as well as a Topical Symposium presented by C.H. Dodd Society members on the question ‘Do Non-believers have an Advantage when Studying Theology?’

Our main event in Hilary term 2013 was a lecture given by Prof Tariq Ramadan on ‘The Integration of Muslims into Western Culture’. This extremely popular event attracted members of the public who travelled to the lecture from outside of Oxford – and it soon became evident why. Prof Ramadan’s talk was fascinating, and the questions that followed also opened up further interesting discussions. Another successful event in Hilary term was a Topical Symposium on Euthanasia, presented by Prof Nigel Biggar. After Prof Biggar prompted discussion, everyone joined in the debate on ‘Autonomy’s Suicide: the problem with assisted dying’, and together we explored many of the different arguments, each of us being challenged to consider new and perhaps uncomfortable positions.

Two exciting events in Trinity term rounded off a great year for the Society. To start, we had Prof Diarmaid MacCulloch give a ‘Theological Tour of Oxford’. Armed with maps, and a captivating tour guide, we explored the history of Oxford: a city inextricably connected to theology and religion. Our final event of the year was a lecture given by Prof Keith Ward on ‘The Gospels and Philosophy’, where Prof Ward took us through some of the main sections of his latest book The Philosopher and the Gospels. This was an engaging talk, due both to Prof Ward’s talent for presenting, and the insight given into the thought of a modern academic who straddles the boundary between theology and philosophy.

In the coming year we hope to extend our range of topics even further, continuing to invite eminent speakers and widening our audience, with the aim of stimulating an understanding and interest in theology from a broader spectrum of people. Our experience from this year has shown us the huge array of theological topics that can offer something of interest to almost everyone. We hope to encourage this dissemination, giving the subject a renewed vitality within Oxford among students, alumni and members of the public. We thus aim to show that theology has relevance for us today, and that engaging with theological topics and problems can be of interest both to those who study Theology and those who do not.

The c.H. Dodd societySophie Giles Theology, 2011

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When I first arrived at Mansfield College, I admit I didn’t know a whole lot about it, given that I hadn’t applied there. The extent of my knowledge about the College

was based on a single interview at Mansfield, and my brief walks to and from that interview. My first thought was that it didn’t look like any other Oxford college (which is why I walked straight past it to the end of Mansfield Road, and had to ask a passer-by for directions). But having now finished four years there I am glad it is not like any other college. I feel truly lucky to have been given the chance to study at, and be part of the amazing community that is Mansfield College.

I have been playing basketball since I was 14, which is relatively late to start, but it soon began to play a huge role in my life. I played for a local club and my school team, with my love for the sport increasing each year. By the time I arrived at Oxford, I knew I would want to continue playing in some capacity, whether it was for the University or representing Mansfield College.

In my first year I managed to get into the Oxford University Basketball (OUBbC) squad, playing for the 2nd team throughout the 2009-10 season, as well as winning the league competition with the joint Merton-Mansfield team. At the end of my second year (and second season with the University 2nd team), when I was still deliberating about whether to continue my studies into a fourth year, I decided that I would regret leaving University without giving my all to basketball, and trying to get into the Blues.

In the summer of 2011, I dedicated a huge portion of my time on training for the 2011-12 season, which eventually paid off when I made it into the Blues squad. Aside from two games missed through injury, I played every match for the Blues, including a 91-66 demolition of Cambridge in the annual Varsity match, in a season that saw us finish third in Premier South. Another highlight of the year was our trip to Sheffield for the final 8s of the BUCS Championships. Although the results didn’t quite pan out the way we’d hoped, the four-day excursion was a lot of fun and contributed to strengthening our team bond for the next season.

Going into my fourth year, I was elected Blues captain of OUBbC, which I consider a great privilege. The club has had a very successful history since its foundation, including multiple national Championships and a European title. These accomplishments can partly be attributed to the tradition of talented American students coming to Oxford on visiting programmes or as postgraduates. The Rhodes Scholarship in particular has contributed two of the most famous alumni of OUBbC: Bill Bradley (winner of an Olympic gold medal in basketball and two NBA Championships, before going on to become a US Senator); and Bill Clinton. During my season as captain, we managed to set up the first OUBbC alumni game, where old members of the club came back to play against our current team. The organisation of this event was made easier by the formation of the London Dark Blues three years ago, a team for ex-Oxford players living in London. The match ended with a dominant victory for the current team; we hope it will continue as an annual event to strengthen alumni relations for the club.

Unfortunately, in the 2012-13 season we were unable to repeat the previous season’s win in the Varsity match, which was undoubtedly the lowest point of my time with OUBbC. However, I will take with me some great memories of my time with the club, and – cheesy though it sounds – in years to come I will forget the losses and remember only the good times, both on and off the court. I would urge anyone who is pondering whether to go for a trial at a University sports team or any other club to go ahead and do it. On top of enabling you to take your sport or hobby to the next level, it allows you to meet a whole new group of people, of different nationalities and stages in life, and gives you a close friendship group outside of College. I couldn’t imagine going through University without having played for OUBbC, and am very grateful for the honour not only to represent Oxford, but also to captain the side. I aim to continue playing as much as I can now that I have left, which is why I will be putting on the London Dark Blues jersey next season, and this time hoping to cause an upset in the second annual OUBbC Alumni Game.

Shaan Dalwadi (Maths, 2009) on his time with OUBbC

Hoops to

College life

successThrough

the

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over the summer we ventured from Albania to the Czech Republic with support from Mansfield’s Henty Travel Fund, which encourages ‘ambitious and unusual’ travel

by undergraduate geographers.

Initially, we were drawn to the area through a student-run charity called Oxford Aid to the Balkans (OXAB), which linked us up with a Swedish NGO called TAMAM. This runs an annual summer camp for children in the village of Marqinet (just outside Albania’s capital, Tirana), where we arrived, along with over 20 other volunteers from places such as Sweden, Denmark and the USA. Following a series of explosions in an ammunitions base near the village in 2008, TAMAM has done a great deal in helping with post-traumatic stress and improving the general well-being of young people in the village, sending out volunteer teachers throughout the year. In addition to teaching English, we also led classes in art and sport, running an intensive ten days of activities and excursions for around 60 children. Despite our reservations before the camp, concerning our lack of teaching experience and the language barrier, this turned out to be a very rewarding experience – not only because of our work with the children, but through the cultural exchange from working with volunteers from around the world.

After our time at the camp, we experienced Albania as tourists, exploring the capital Tirana and catching furgons (small, battered mini buses, which serve as Albania’s main form of public transport) to more remote and historic locations such as Berat and Shkodra. Highlights included a trip to the Bogove waterfalls, which we finally reached after a two-hour furgon ride out of Berat, then a treacherous walk clambering over rocks and edging along shale embankments. To say we were ‘off the beaten path’ wouldn’t suffice, given that no path existed, and we were the only people around for miles. This made it even more special when we finally reached the icy falls in the heat of the day.

Albania’s capital was a completely different story. Everything about Tirana was chaotic: from the haphazard fusion of eastern and western cultures, to the former communist tower blocks that had been painted-over in sometimes garish pastel colours. We soon became adept at weaving in and out of traffic (pedestrian crossings being seemingly absent), and politely saying ‘jo faleminderit’ (‘no thank you’) to the numerous street vendors selling piles of dodgy looking mobile phones and fake branded goods laid out on plastic sheets on the ground. The country was isolated for over 40 years under a very repressive communist regime, and you get the impression that change here has had to happen at an accelerated rate. The immense

amount of disorganised (yet positive) activity suggests that things are continuing to advance quickly, and for the better.

Inspired by reading and lectures in our first-year geography course on states and borders in post-communist Europe, we also travelled to some of the countries that made up former Yugoslavia, including Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. A large proportion of this area is still a raw wound as far as state formation is concerned, with significant tensions still present and complex national affinities due to the heterogeneous ethnic mix. This came across most strongly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which following the break-up of Tito’s Yugoslavia and subsequent conflict, has three official ethnic groups, religions and languages. The three ethnic groups try to segregate themselves as much as possible, to the extent that the state has three presidents at any given time: one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb.

Bosnia’s national football team now includes players of all ethnicities (possibly to put on a unified front for the rest of the world), yet there are still tensions between these ethnic groups

at a club level. We experienced this for ourselves during our stay in Sarajevo when a local team of Bosniak nationality was playing a Spanish team. We were told by our hostel owner to avoid certain areas in the city due to the high risk of violence – not because of any friction between Spanish and Bosniak supporters, but because of issues between the Sarajevo club supporters and Serbs and Croats (many of whom would actively favour any team playing against a club of Bosniak ethnicity). Before our trip, we were under the impression that most ethnic tensions had died down since the 1992-95 conflict, however in reality, this is not the case, and the country is still in a state of flux.

Despite the stunning scenery we witnessed throughout this part of our trip, we found it impossible to cast images of the 1990s conflict to the back of our minds. Former war zones like Mostar and Sarajevo are now completely unrecognisable to photos we had seen of these areas during the conflict, yet a great deal of the bullet and shrapnel damage remains as a silent reminder of a tragic series of events that killed over 100,000 people. Much like Albania, it is clear that Bosnia and Herzegovina is trying to shake off its past, however, due to the lingering ethnic divisions between its people, real change may take a while.

It’s difficult to put into words how much of an eye-opener the whole experience was for us, and we are very grateful to the College, and in particular Bruce Robinson (without whom the Henty Fund wouldn’t exist), for helping to support such an opportunity. We hope that future undergraduates are encouraged to undertake similarly ambitious travel, as it certainly has enriched our geographical understanding of the world.

Backpacking in the BalkansLucy Long Geography, 2012 and Alice Willcox Geography, 2011

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As the sun dawned in a cloudless sky on February 2nd 2013, Mansfield College was filled with anticipation, excitement and energy. That evening 650 guests would

descend on the transformed College for the triennial ball, entitled ‘Atlantis: Mysteries of the Deep’.

Formed in Trinity Term 2011, the ball committee had almost two years to prepare for the event. The ball is traditionally held in Michaelmas term, but it was decided to delay the date until February in order to maximise the time available for marketing and ticket sales. By doing this we hoped to attract more guests, thereby enhancing our budget and so delivering the biggest and best ball in the College’s history. A sudden surge of interest at the beginning of Hilary term saw over half the tickets sold in a matter of days, which, I must admit, took even the ball President by surprise. Rapid negotiations allowed for an increased capacity on site and most of the waiting list of over 100 students, guests and alumni were eventually offered tickets.

Those fortunate enough to hold banquet tickets were welcomed into the chapel before the event for a decadent candlelit meal. The pillars were adorned with white fabric and ivy, and the soft melodies from a harp and flute duo floated over the tables as the diners enjoyed four courses.

The remaining guests arrived to a champagne reception, accompanied by a jazz trio in the foyer of the main building. Throughout the evening, eight hours of live music on three stages catered to every taste. An acoustic stage in the Council Room created an intimate atmosphere, allowing guests to enjoy a bountiful spread of desserts accompanied by acoustic musical sets and comedy acts. The Chapel was transformed from banqueting hall into what had affectionately become dubbed by the committee as the ‘Rave Cave’. Dramatically lit by spotlights concealed in the choir stalls, the Chapel’s beautiful architecture provided a unique setting for DJs who took to the decks beneath the organ loft. The main stage in the 300 square metre tent on the quad covered genres from funk and soul, big band jazz, and reggae/folk, provided by student groups, to dubstep/drum & bass/reggae and indie rock from professional bands. The night culminated in an hour of pop song covers, with requests from the audience. Of course it wouldn’t have been a Mansfield party without Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’ making an emotional appearance as the last song.

One of our principal aims in creating the ball was to provide entertainment that was distinct from the usual fairground rides of other such events. Thus, a temporary pool was installed on the quad, allowing guests to walk on water in inflatable ‘Aqua-Zorbs’. For the more competitively inclined, a Laser Tag arena was inflated on the quad and a Rodeo Surfboard in the JCR. A beauty parlour in the JCR provided nail painting, hand-massages, and face painting for those left dishevelled by Aqua-Zorb pursuits or otherwise.

My sincerest thanks go to the ball committee for their time, support, creativity, dedication and friendship. I am also ever grateful to Garry Dore, Lynne Quiggin, Allan Dodd, Tony Berezny, Lee Browning, Alvaro Riera, Monika Dziasek, Terry Greenwood, Dana Mills, Claire Palmer, Amanda Ward, Justin Jacobs and Bob Trafford from the College staff for their help during the event and in its run-up and aftermath. Thanks too to all those who came to the ball and enjoyed the end result. It was a privilege to contribute to the life of the wonderful College that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of for the last four years.

Anna Ploszajski Materials Science 2009, President of the Ball Committee

AtlAntis Mysteries of the Deep

Mansfield College Ball 2013

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The Ball CommitteeAnna Ploszajski – PresidentSophie Wilson – Vice-PresidentJun Li – TreasurerEllie Saunders – SecretaryDaniel Tarry – Security and LogisticsJoe Holloway, Sam Firman – EntertainmentKaty Isaac, Dan Keeling, James Fisher – CreativeSarah Connolly – SponsorshipSophie Willson, Holly Haines, Jack Andrews and George Hasell-McCosh – Sales and AdvertisingOllie Cohen – Food and DrinksDavid Wharton – Webmaster

Other students who contributed and deserve thanks are Lily Fletcher, Chris Major, Natalie Muldoon, Emma Milner, Alisha Patel, Charlotte Warne, Matt Dodd, Ollie Wood and Selina Denton.

Ball website: www.mansfieldball.comPhotographs: www.facebook.com/mansfieldball

I think I’ve been to about 40 Oxford balls, and I’m struggling to remember one better than Mansfield 2013.

Alex Kaiserman, Jesus, member of Dot’s Funk Odyssey

The Chapel shook to the big beats of DJs in an ingenious, beautiful marriage of old and new, lubricated by mojito. Dressed sharply in black and white, Young Kato left many ladies crying out for more.

George Cooke, St Peter’s, member of Marvellous Medicine

I loved the beauty parlour - a great start to the evening - and all the food, especially the hog roast – so delicious. Coffee and pastries were very welcome in the early morning. I also loved Young Kato. They were amazing!

Rachel McGuire, St Anne’s

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Lately, there has been something especially progressive in the air around Mansfield. It’s not our

newly acquired taste in sculpture, or our building modernisations; rather, you might call it an atmosphere – one that pervades dining hall conversations, JCR meetings, Freshers’ Week plans and even tutorials. Though our College has long been a place where diversity is accepted and welcomed, it’s now also becoming an active voice within the University at large, in favour of equality for all. But I have noticed that there’s one word in particular playing on Mansfield’s collective lips. That word (whisper it!) is ‘feminism’.

It’s a complex term. The connotations of ‘the F word’ are different for everybody: for some it’s horribly outdated, whereas others feel that it is as vital in 2013 as it has ever been. However, regardless of personal taste, it’s an undeniable fact that over the past academic year, the unapologetic use of the word ‘feminism’ has experienced a major resurgence within university culture in

the UK. The current mood at Mansfield is symptomatic of something I’m going to call feminism’s ‘comeback’ (even though by doing so I run the risk of making it sound like a 1980s pop star doing a tour of working men’s clubs). This is an exciting time to be at university, especially at Mansfield College, Oxford.

Feminist organisations are springing up at universities all over the country, presumably in response to wider social phenomena. Some of these influencing factors – such as the Everyday Sexism project, which uses social media to raise awareness of day-to-day discrimination against women – are overwhelmingly positive; some are not so (the ‘Lad Culture’ trend, and the severity of its sometimes unwitting sexism, shows the need for an increased feminist presence within universities themselves), but they all add fuel to the spreading feminist fire. Oxford has a particularly active University-wide ‘Women’s Campaign’, which aims to put self-identifying women on the map within the University; its recent ‘I Need Feminism’ event, which

garnered attention from the national press, seemed to do exactly that – just by giving the women of Oxford an empowering and non-threatening place to speak up for themselves. The ‘I Need Feminism’ concept is very simple: an individual writes a sign stating why feminism is a necessary part of his or her life, and is photographed holding it. Later the photos are uploaded to a site like Facebook where others can see all of the different messages that have been written. The idea was later taken on by Cambridge University’s Women’s Campaign, and many university organisations elsewhere have also now carried out similar events.

As I queued alongside other Mansfielders outside the Rad Cam on a drizzly Monday evening, waiting for my turn to scrawl a typically angry message (‘I need feminism because you wouldn’t make a racist or homophobic remark now, would you?’) on a dry-wipe board, I felt genuinely part of something important. This was something personal and something universal at the same time,

Lauren O’Neill English, 2012

WHoneedsEMINIsM?F

College life

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The ‘Mansfield Needs Feminism’ event celebrated our College’s welcoming atmosphere for people of all genders.

’‘

31

and it was young feminists like me who had made the event – which was visited by 474 people in two days – into such a success. And so, after noticing over the following term or so the growing interest, curiosity and passion for feminism among my peers at Mansfield, I brought ‘I Need Feminism’ to College. But instead of asking people to consider why they personally needed feminism, I requested that they adorn their whiteboards with answers to the question ‘Why does Mansfield need feminism?’.

‘Gender equality at Mansfield is so much better than at other colleges. I think there’s a lot more lad culture, and more of girls and boys being separate elsewhere, whereas here there’s nothing that’s really dividing the genders,’ commented Tilly Slight, a first year History and Politics student. Indeed, many of the signs written and photographed over the course of the day seemed to echo this sentiment, celebrating the respect that, in general, Mansfield students have for people of different genders to their own. Another area of College life highlighted by students as a success is the number of women in positions of seniority within Mansfield. My own sign was thankful for the amount of positive female role models I now know personally, while JCR President Joe Morris (second year, History) acknowledged that most of his JCR Bench Committee consisted of women, who are elected representatives trusted by the JCR to act in its best interests. The JCR Women’s Rep, Beth White (a second-year English student), stated simply that without feminism’s active presence in College, her role would be obsolete. First-year History and English student, Lettie Ezaz, agreed: ‘I think there’s a lot of provision here in terms of the women’s rep and women’s tutor, and there’s a particularly active body of feminists at Mansfield.’

Indeed there is: ‘Mansfield Needs Feminism’ is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of all of the amazing gender-equality activism that Mansfield students support and are involved in. Our JCR stocks C*ntry Living, a radical feminist

magazine put together termly by Oxford students (in order to help sustain this venture, Mansfield JCR – a significantly poorer institution than many of its counterparts at other colleges – voted almost unanimously to donate £200 to it), as well as the termly Women’s Campaign ‘zine’, which was co-edited by a Mansfield student in Michaelmas 2013. A host of University-wide feminist activities has continued over the past academic year, with Mansfield students and staff at the forefront. For example, Junior Dean Dana Mills was an integral cog in the machine of Oxford’s ‘One Billion Rising’ flash mob, which sought to raise awareness about the global

pandemic of violence against women, and was attended by a number of our students and tutors, who danced in the streets of Oxford with hundreds of others. Furthermore, we’re fortunate to have an especially pro-active JCR Women’s Rep. Beth White – along with her JCR Men’s Rep counterpart Alex Brant (second year, Engineering), and Harriet Ainscough (second year, PPE), the JCR LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning) Rep – works tirelessly to ensure that people of all genders feel safe, comfortable and respected at Mansfield. We’re one of the few colleges who actually have a Women’s Rep, a Men’s Rep, and an LGBTQ Rep, all in the interests of equality and making sure everyone is catered for. One particularly successful event was Hilary Term 2013’s College self-defence workshop, led by professionals invited by Beth. She later commented that ‘both women and men came along, and it goes without saying that the girls were throwing punches to rival the boys. It was all about equipping students with a skill set that would help

them to feel safer in Oxford.’ Beth’s work extended into Michaelmas 2013, when along with Alex, JCR Vice President Abi Rose and other volunteers, she ran an informal sexual-consent workshop for Freshers’ Week.

Also in Michaelmas 2013, Mansfield became only the third college in the University to establish its own gender-equality society. Mansfield Gender Equality Society will provide a positive, non-discriminatory space for discussion and activism on topics related to feminism and gender equality. It has already garnered interest from a number of students and potential speakers.

However, despite all these fantastic achievements, it would be naive to consider our work complete. Though many of the signs written at the ‘Mansfield Needs Feminism’ event celebrated our College’s welcoming atmosphere for people of all genders, other signs highlighted shortcomings. Ben Janoff (second year, Engineering) and India Kirkpatrick (first year, Materials Science) both noted that of all the students admitted in the past year for Maths and Science subjects, only four were women. Though this speaks to a wider problem

in terms of women’s access to degrees in these subjects, it is hoped by many that Mansfield can be at the forefront of vital access work, in its capacity as one of Oxford’s most progressive colleges.

Mansfield, then, is becoming quite a hub of feminist activism, with students and staff getting involved at many different levels. For me, it feels great to be learning at such an open-minded College, where feminism is encouraged rather than stifled. Though this isn’t necessarily the case within the entire Oxford institution, or indeed within UK university culture as a whole, the existence of trailblazing establishments like Mansfield shows that it’s certainly possible to foster a world-class learning environment that holds equality for all as a core value.

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Copies of the book are available:Online at tmiltd.comBy phone on +44 (0) 20 7336 0144

Please contact the Development Office on +44 (0) 1865 270998 for more information.

From various perspectives, this book tells the

interwoven stories of Mansfield’s past and present,

its extraordinary growth and development, and its

ambitions for the future. It features stunning new

photographs by the College’s photographer in

residence, Keiko Ikeuchi, as well as never-before

published pictures from Mansfield’s archive.

Specifications: hardback, 176 pages, 270 x 230 mm over 150 illustrations, ISBN: 9781906507497Publication: July 2012 Published price: £45.00

Contents: 1. Origins and Reinvention2. The College Buildings3. Governance and Access 4. Three Principals Look Back5. Three Thematic Perspectives6. College Life: Then and Now

General Editors: Stephen Blundell and Michael FreedenPhotography by Keiko Ikeuchi

MansfieldPortrait of an oxford College

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Sister Helen Prejean, whose autobiographical account of her spiritual, confessional relationship with a convicted murderer on Death Row in 1980s Louisiana became the Oscar-winning film Dead Man Walking, gave 2013’s University Sermon at the invitation of our Principal. Afterwards, one of our students, Tasha Dhanraj (Theology, 2012) was lucky enough to chat to Sister Helen about her life and her faith.

Living with DeadManWalking

interview

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Living with DeadManWalking

sister Helen Prejean has dedicated her life to the abolition of the death penalty. Her book about her experiences with inmates on death row, Dead Man

Walking, was made into a film starring Susan Sarandon (for which the actress received an Academy Award) and directed by Tim Robbins. A force to be reckoned with, Sister Helen spends her time tirelessly campaigning to end capital punishment, through giving talks across the USA to the public, politicians and religious leaders. Her thick southern accent and wide smile welcome you into her world, as she proceeds to inspire you with her story.

I began by asking Sister Helen about her feelings towards the death penalty before she began her work in prisons, and was surprised to hear that previously, she hadn’t questioned it as a form of punishment. So what changed her mind?

‘It was when I started getting involved with poor people in New Orleans and started visiting this man on death row that I began to see and think “God this is so wrong”. It’s so wrong in the way it’s applied and carried out… and so I came to this decision of conscience and resistance to it. But I had to go through the journey of it.’

Was Sister Helen’s decision to become a nun in any way similar to her decision to be against the death penalty?

‘To be a nun, as I understood it, was to be a saint. It was to be prayerful, mystical and to have close union with God… But being awakened to the gospel of Jesus is more than just being polite and charitable to those around you… it was always about being charitable but never about justice, which means you have to see the injustice and then be active to change it. That was an awakening of grace that happened in my life. So the nun thing was about teaching in the Catholic Church and that’s what a lot of nuns did. To nurse the sick, to teach the children – but not justice.’

To many, of course, the death penalty is what justice is all about. The effect on the victims’ families is something close to Sister Helen’s heart.

‘There’s satisfaction that the person who killed their loved one gets equal justice. “He killed our daughter – it’s not right that he should be alive.” First thing you have to know is the death penalty is for the families, it is going to give them equal justice. Less than 1% of all victims’ families have this kind of justice. It’s extremely rare. And then [there’s] the experience itself: because of the legal machinery that’s very complex, with the appeal process, families have to wait 10 years, 15 years. The average wait in California is over 20 years for an execution to happen,

which is supposed to honour their dead loved one and give them justice. More and more victims are speaking out against it and saying they get more victimised.’

When the death penalty seems such an entrenched part of the culture in many American states, it is difficult to see how many people could undergo the same change of heart as Sister Helen. But, she asserts, things are changing.

‘When I was with the first man who I saw executed in 1984, the support for the death penalty from the public was over 80%, and today it is down to 61%. And because of all the dialogue we’ve done, it is lower than that in the Catholic Church. The interesting thing is the question itself gets a knee-jerk kind of response. But when you put death against life, and people know they can be safe and that they don’t have to kill anybody, the figure drops to below 50%. So, it shows with American people – and I’ve found this over the 20 years I’ve given talks on it – it’s not that they’ve reflected deeply on the death penalty and decided to be for it. Most have never even thought about it. We’re not a reflective society. People move from thing to thing without being reflective. People get it, once you talk to them, or you write a book. You tell them a story to get them there. It’s not difficult. You just have to get them to reflect. That’s why there’s a book. That’s why there’s a film. It’s all of it – it’s not just live drama. It’s the music that moves hearts to come to another place. The arts are very important for reflection in a society… Then I have spent 20-plus years in the Catholic Church talking with members, the people mainly, and the hierarchy and even the Pope about why it needs to change and why there needs to be stronger opposition. The first book is Dead Man Walking and the second book is The Death of Innocents. It’s all about dialogue with people. People then help the leaders.’

Does Sister Helen believe that countries in the EU refusing to export chemicals to be used in lethal injections in the United States make any difference to the abolition of the death penalty?

When a fire for justice is started and you think ‘this is wrong’ the first thing you have to do to stop that fire from going out is to join with a community of people.

’‘

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‘Absolutely. It has played a role. That’s international human rights even as we speak. That resistance to it from the chemical companies – it has saved people’s lives because it has brought legal battles into the state about whether they can use it and what they can do. I cheered when I heard that… Gandhi said the way you get oppressors to stop oppressing is usually not by direct confrontation but to make it too costly for them to keep oppressing, and then they leave.’

Sister Helen believes that an ecumenical approach is needed. ‘We can’t just be an intersection any more. At the heart of all spiritual traditions is compassion. We’re all brothers and sisters and nobody can be ripped out of the fabric of life across all faiths and all denominations and all sects. And that’s not just for our brothers and sisters, but for planet earth. We’re all connected to planet earth. When you think of yourself as a superior species that can use the earth as a resource and exploit it, then it’s a destructive way of living. We have to learn to live whole, healthy, connected lives to each other.’

Sister Helen is not just an idealist who is against the death penalty without acknowledging the problem of long-term incarceration for criminals.

‘Life sentences are the way forward, but then we have to change them too. To give a person a life sentence without hope of parole is to disrespect the person and to deny the transcendence that people can change. But first we have to take death off the table. And then we can take the long road to transform the prison system… One day, all energies will go into preventing crime. We know where crime proliferates and it is where you don’t have a chance at life. Archbishop Tutu said this once: “What would make a man who is a father of a family strap a bomb to his back and go and blow himself up in a bus?

Fathers don’t do that. Fathers take care of their children. So what must be his sufferings and the sufferings of his children that would lead him to do a desperate act like that?” And that’s how we have to approach crime. So it comes down to what kind of jobs do people have? What are their chances at education? What are their chances to lead a decent human life? That’s what we have to pour our energies into – giving people a chance.’

So how can individuals make a difference?

‘You have to really descend into the issue to see the suffering and see the people. There has to be a fire kindled in an individual and when a fire for justice is started and you think “this is wrong” the first thing you have to do to stop that fire from going out is to join with a community of people. You can’t do it by yourself. So you join Amnesty International, say. And then you begin to educate yourself. One of the things that privilege does is to immunise us to the suffering. It’s like putting a wall around us and five layers of gloves so we can’t feel it and touch the face of the suffering one. It’s amazing how liberating action is. The hardest part is deciding what to do. And then you find yourself thinking “I’ll do this, I’ll do that.” It’s like you put your hand in it and you start pulling a rope and you feel lighter and connected and you feel purposeful in your life and maybe you’ve done a very small action, but you’ve done it for justice. And that’s what keeps you moving. You’ve got to stay with a community otherwise the fire goes out.”

The publisher Random House is re-issuing Sister Helen Prejean’s book, Dead Man Walking, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Sister Helen is also involved in a project for the play of Dead Man Walking to be performed in schools. For more information, please visit the website dmwplay.org.

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37

Good evening, Michael Palin. As a writer, actor, champion geographer, charity patron and ‘British National Treasure’, what do you consider to be your biggest creative achievement?

Ahh, probably the Fish Slapping Dance (laughs). That was a superb little moment. I would say flawless, that one. That gave me great pleasure.

Indeed: the perfect balance of quasi-militarism, and total silliness. What about your achievements more broadly?

Well I’m glad to say that next Monday will be the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Michael Palin stammering centre, and it’s really done well. I’ve learnt a lot about stammering since I played Ke-Ken in A Fish Called Wanda. After the film, I sort of faced up to the fact that I didn’t know very much about stammering, despite the fact my father had quite a serious stammer all his life. I just remember when my Dad was round you just had to wait, and we all… well we’re expected to speak too fast now anyway, so in some ways slowing down is not a bad thing. When somebody came to me about being involved I said OK, and they said ‘this is such an unsexy charity, no-one gives money to stammerers, but if you give your name it might make a difference.’ We have ten full-time therapists, a long waiting list, and it’s really the thing I’m most proud of doing in my life.

Oxford lore holds that you also began the Revue, way back when…

Well I don’t think I began Oxford Revue. There was a tradition of taking a revue up to the Edinburgh Festival, and Cambridge was very well organised, people wearing black tie and all that. At Oxford, I just got asked to go to the Edinburgh Revue in a pub, you know, I went to meet someone in the King’s Arms.

We invented a name for ourselves, the ‘Etceteras’, and I tried to get this going. After we did the Edinburgh Revue I tried to establish a sort of similar thing to the Footlights, but less elitist and hierarchical, and we had various revues. I don’t think I was in any way attempting to set a template for a future Revue. Ours was very much hit-and-miss, you know, and we did what we felt with the people who were available at the time. Rather nice, and spontaneous.

More generally, is there anything you wish that you had done, or anything you feel like you’re yet to achieve?

Oh God yes. I’d really like to be able to speak another language well, but I don’t think I have the will. I’d like to play a musical instrument, I don’t think I have the will. And, you know one day, I’ve always thought I’d quite like to do a Shakespeare play. I thought I could do King Lear. But I think it’s bloody difficult to try and learn all that stuff, in that odd language he has.

Alas, there’s no ad-libbing with the Bard…

Well apparently there is! I was talking to Stephen Fry the other night, and he’s doing Twelfth Night, with Mark Rylance, and apparently a lot of ad libbing went on. If there was someone in who they particularly knew, like Paul McCartney, they would put in ‘all you need is love’. I think that is the Revue spirit!

Does your position in Britain’s public life ever make you afraid to try new things or take risks?

Yes, maybe it does. Though I feel that everything I do is a risk – and I do like doing new things all the time. In terms of performing and comedy I haven’t done an awful lot, no. I don’t know quite why. I think there was such good times and then the Python years were fantastic. I’m very happy with what I’m doing at the moment… but it is interesting, how I feel a little inhibited

Emily Honey (VSP, 2012) interviewed Michael Palin before his Friday lecture in March 2013. The two shared a common link: Emily performed with the renowned comedy troupe the Oxford Revue during her year at Mansfield – the very comedy troupe that Michael had performed with during his time at Oxford in the 1960s.

FishA conversation with Michael Palin

in Conversation

the

Probably

slapping Dance

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perhaps from doing the comedy I used to do. And part of it is your age, you know we were 19, 20, 21, and I think comedy depends a lot on having a go, you know. Testing things out, experimenting, trying: being sort of arrogant about things.

And feeling the pleasure and the pain of something working or failing?

Yes! Once you’re very successful, or quite successful, it’s not so easy, in an odd way. You’re the target rather than the comedy.

It must also be difficult to sustain a winning creative dynamic, akin to what you had with the Pythons.

Absolutely. It was good for a bit and then, of course, it didn’t work, and you realise that we were six different people, and although we made each other laugh which is very, very important, and enjoyed a very similar sort of humour, everything else was different. Our lifestyles were different, you know the kind of people we married were different, things we liked to do were different, places we wanted to go on holiday… everything was different, but there was just enough there to really keep and make something good, because we could write great comedy… And probably that comedy wouldn’t have worked if we’d all... been a bit robotic, or been told what to do by some outside force. Python really grew organically, and, and died organically.

So how did you make that sort of intensely creative multiple writer/actor situation work, initially?

The writer/ actor background came from university revue entirely. That’s where we got our training, and that’s where you learnt that you can’t buy a laugh, you can’t expect a laugh, and you’ve got to earn it from the material. You’ve got to know what to avoid when something bombs, you don’t want to do the same again next time. A lot of that I learnt at university. I learnt far more about revue and comedy and performing and writing than I ever did about history, and that’s the way it is, you know! Now, oddly enough, I’m far more interested in history, you know I love reading about things. But Python was really the televisual, and then filming, version of university performing. And we were always very respectful of writing, and writers – like Spike Milligan because he wrote the Goons as well as being in it, and Galton and Simpson who wrote [for] Tony Hancock, and Steptoe and Son. I thought ‘God, these guys are brilliant’. A lot of people didn’t care about the writers, they just saw the person they were writing for, but I think writing is so, so important. I think it’s one thing I feel you could learn every day, how to write better, whereas with performing you can either do it or you can’t, basically, you can’t teach yourself to be funny, you’ve got it there or you haven’t.

39

You’ve just returned from Brazil, where you filmed a short series. I’m curious to know what your thoughts were on Brazil as an emerging power, and as a culture.

As an emerging power, it’s got terrific potential. Pretty much anything you could want is produced in Brazil, and it’s clearly undergone an enormous change in the last 20 years, from being a kind of basket case as world economies go, to a BRIC country and all that. As for the Brazilians themselves, they do seem to be some of the most laid back, and content, people on Earth, I think. I’ve very rarely been with people who have so few grudges or whinges. I’ll be very interested to see how they readjust themselves to all this sort of… curiosity and attention that’s going to be in Brazil, and the Olympics, and just being a successful country. In some ways, I feel, Brazil’s doing fine the way it is, and do they want this added responsibility? Do they want to be like us, full of angst and worry? Or do they want to enjoy the beaches and swimming, body beautiful and enormous amounts of plastic surgery and all things to keep themselves looking good? I don’t know. But it was intriguing, very intriguing – nowhere like it.

What’s the strangest thing that you’ve come across on your adventures?

Strangest thing – well, one of the most bizarre things was a cow competition near Adelaide in Australia.

My homeland! Sounds about right.

Well you know they do these things in the outback. One of the events was cow racing, which was fairly bizarre, but another one was this big square, and they put the cow in the square, and you could buy tickets for each different square so wherever it crapped, that was where you got your money back. Just wonderful! People would be staring at this, waiting for this cow to evacuate!

It’s not a bad idea…

Hey, you could make some money. People are always wanting to have these festivals. I think also, getting more exotic, the whirling dervishes [in Turkey] were pretty amazing. When you see them going, I mean hour after hour they just spin round. They go into a sort of trance, and it’s just unbelievable out there in the desert. So that was something that made you go ‘Oh wow’, that is a different world, I can’t believe these people lie on the same planet.

If you could have any object named after you, what would it be?

Oh, well, well that is such a good question. I mean, I’d quite like to have a horse race named after me, ‘the Palin Stakes’, I’d love that! But actually, whatever it is, I think it would have to be some geographical feature. A mountain or a lake. I’d quite like a Lake Palin… or the Palin Peninsula, that’s better. Palin is not a

good name, but Palin Peninsula is not bad. A peninsula!

I know you already have two trains and an asteroid named after you…

Well I hate to disabuse you, but I only have one train now. My name’s been removed from the Virgin cross-country train. It was an explorer class, so I was there along with Francis Drake and then it was sold to someone else. So I have in my office now a huge plaque of cast iron saying ‘Michael Palin’ on it. And when it’s not attached to the train it just looks very idiotic – very, very sort of arrogant…

What’s the most fun you can ever remember having in your life?

Well funnily enough, with you talking about it, I did enjoy the Edinburgh Revue, fantastically. It was my second year at Oxford, and it was 1964, and we went up to do this Revue and I wrote a number of the sketches, and being able to perform material that you’ve written and get people laughing of course was great. And we did slightly different sort of material – there was an awful lot of satirical stuff, people were intoxicated by the thought that you could impersonate the Prime Minister, and do that kind of satire, but I wasn’t so interested in that. I was just interested in creating characters. And one or two of the sketches I did were pure character creation, and I loved that. It was great, that was almost the best performing – I wasn’t known, nothing was expected of me, and I realise now, being quite well-known, that those were great days, because being well-known puts an extra kind of pressure on you, which is ‘well, what are you well-known for?’, and great expectations.

Harking back to your time at Oxford, what do you remember most, and what do you think you gained by being here?

Just having my own room was incredible! I never had a desk at home, and now I had a huge great big desk with an Anglepoise lamp of my own – it’s my own, you know! I think I also gained a freedom of thought and expression, which I’d not really experienced before. And that was the heady thing for me. I’m afraid the academic side I was never convinced about. Because although I could do essays, and quite enjoyed a bit of history here and there, it wasn’t really what I wanted to do at the age of 19. I wanted to meet people. And, and I did end up meeting people who were in comedy, and theatre, ended up doing a bit of acting and then suddenly ended up in the Revue. And that changed my life. I mean I could say that the roots of my life after Oxford were all set, probably, at that Revue in 1964.How different do you think your life would have been, had you been elsewhere?

I would have probably accepted the formality of life and gone through the normal channels, which is interviews, with careers masters and all that sort of thing, and I’d have probably ended up in journalism, because I like writing and I wasn’t good at maths… possibly publishing, something like that. But that self-

40

Emily interviewing Michael Palin in the Principal’s study

expression was something I learnt at Oxford. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, I have something to say that other people don’t have’, and to find out I could do that and find people who’d actually enjoy it and laugh at it, and react to it and feel the better for it – that was terrific. And I did enough of the other side of it, which is the educational side, to enable me to feel that I wasn’t afraid of books and learning. That was sewn at Oxford, so it was a very, it was actually a very, very important time.

Do you know what’s next, what your next big project or adventure will be?

No, nope, no idea. It’s a nice period! You work very hard and to very hard deadlines for a year and a half, like making Brazil and writing the book, and also a novel… I read other people’s work and I go and see plays and go to the cinema, and just catch up with things you don’t normally do. I love being able to drift. I love cafés and having cups of coffee in the morning and not having to hurry somewhere. So I might do a lot more of that.

Sounds exceedingly pleasant. Finally, what wisdom or advice could you pass on to someone like myself, about to leave university?

I just say try and be you. I think there’s a great deal of pressure to be something else, to conform to something or to sell yourself in a certain way, and it never quite works. I mean I tried that when I was young, and did all these things – thought I wanted to be rich, therefore I should do commercials and, and then in the end I thought, ‘actually I don’t enjoy doing commercials, and do I need to get rich?’ No, I quite like being comfortably off, but I’d like to do other stuff. So you’ve got to go with whatever’s inside you, and whatever you feel like. And not betray yourself for some greater cause, because it’s actually you who’ll be doing it, and find out what you really enjoy and what you like doing… And keep warm!

41

Mansfield

Yolande Knell (English, 1994) and Richard Colebourn (PPE, 1998) both hold posts within the BBC, covering one of the world’s most troubled regions. But they didn’t realise they shared a common link with Mansfield College until a Damascene taxi ride in 2007. Here they relate their personal experiences of the Arab Spring.

alumni artiCle

Middle Eastto the

From

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Middle East

The scenes of mass demonstrations and deadly chaos in Cairo that began on June 30th 2013 were all too reminiscent of those I witnessed while based in the

city for the BBC in early 2011. Yet while it took 18 days to overthrow the autocratic Egyptian president of three decades, Hosni Mubarak, the democratically elected Mohammed Morsi lasted just four days after rallies began on the first anniversary of his taking office. The latest swift intervention by the military, which installed a new transitional government, and the continuing unrest have refocused attention on Egypt’s deep social and political divisions.

For most of the three years I spent working in the country full-time, it would have been impossible to anticipate recent events. I never saw a large crowd of protesters, choked on tear gas or encountered a corpse. Emergency laws and police brutality ensured there were few displays of people power until the Tunisian uprising provided Egyptians with a new example. However, my job as a journalist left me in no doubt about people’s grievances and the difficulty of devising reforms. I regularly reported on sexual harassment, corruption, sectarian violence, unsustainable economic subsidies and political stagnation.

My privileged position enabled me to move between the Dickensian misery of Cairo’s slums and the riches of its new luxury residential compounds and five-star hotels. I sipped tea with ambassadors, ministers from the ruling party, farmers and Bedouins alike. While leaders of opposition groups were routinely harassed by the security services, foreign correspondents generally met them freely. Some of the most accommodating were from the Muslim Brotherhood, the long-banned organisation from which Mr Morsi stems. I visited them in hospitals where they worked as doctors, in parliamentary offices that they formally held as independents and in their Nile-side headquarters, which tellingly bore no sign above its entrance.

During 2012’s legislative and presidential elections, there was no mistaking the wide support for Islamists. While many Cairenes deliberated between the political platforms of liberal and secular candidates, whole villages across the nation patiently waited to vote for religious candidates.

The subsequent mistakes and failings of President Morsi mean that many of the political forces behind the 2011 uprising – as well as the army – feel justified in wresting back control. They want to press the revolutionary reset button. Yet it is clear that any political process that attempts to exclude Islamist parties in Egypt cannot be truly democratic. This dilemma is set to persist.

Since I moved to the BBC’s Jerusalem bureau in 2011, I have regularly returned to Cairo but have also had opportunities to cover other events in this tumultuous region. If the lack of progress in peace talks temporarily dulled interest in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, November 2012’s fighting in Gaza dramatically changed the situation. As I went live for the Today programme from Kiryat Malachi in southern Israel, sirens sounded and rockets were noisily intercepted above my head by the Iron Dome defence system.

Syria’s civil war is also dangerously destabilising its neighbours. Tensions even erupted during my last trip to the Zaatari refugee camp in the north Jordanian desert. Syrian fighters living in the camp attacked us to stop us filming and destroyed our footage. Sometimes the stories here appear to go in all-too familiar cycles. My first ever trip to Damascus was six years ago, when I worked alongside my fellow Mansfieldian, Richard Colebourn, to investigate the plight of Iraqi refugees living there.

My Palestinian landlord likes to joke that I will never be able to leave the apartment I rent from him; there will always be news in the Middle East to keep me here.

Yolande’s story

43

Damascus is my favourite city in the Arab world. The Syrians are welcoming and proud of their country’s history. The souks, hammams and mosques of the old

city are magical and unspoilt by the clumsy development that can be seen in many other historic capitals in the region. The centrepiece is the Umayyad Mosque that dates back to AD 634 and contains shrines holy for Christians, Sunni and Shia Muslims who visit in large numbers. It is a symbol of Syrian coexistence; the country has generally avoided the sectarian conflict that has caused such bloodshed in many of her neighbours.

At least that was the picture back in 2007 when I was based in Beirut as the Middle East producer for the BBC’s Newsnight programme and a regular visitor. On my last visit to the city at that time, I was working on a story about how Syria had accommodated millions of refugees fleeing the conflict in Iraq. By chance I met a second BBC team also in Damascus and shared a taxi back to Beirut with Yolande who was then the producer in our Cairo bureau. As we waited we realised that we’d both studied at Mansfield although a few years apart.

Yolande stayed in the region, though I left Beirut not long after our Syrian encounter and moved to Islamabad to cover Pakistan and Afghanistan’s descent into chaos. But in the summer of 2010 we found ourselves reunited in Jerusalem. For the second half of the year I wondered why I had left South Asia; the stories to be told from the Middle East seemed little different from when I was last there and interest

from editors in London was limited. By January 2011 such thoughts seemed absurd.

In 2007 we were focused on life in autocratic Arab states suffering the absence of economic reform and limited political freedom. Opposition leaders were often arrested and many countries seemed stagnant. By the end of 2011 I had spent time with young activists and revolutionaries from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Jordan and Syria. It was an intoxicating time in which meaningful change suddenly seemed possible. We watched an outpouring of the more recent frustrations of the region’s overwhelmingly young population, and also a bid for power by the long-suppressed Islamist groups within secular but authoritarian political systems.

There were too many extraordinary moments to recount properly here. Tahrir Square on the night that Mubarak fell from power was unforgettable. Crossing into liberated eastern Libya a few days after Colonel Gaddafi’s barracks in Benghazi had been stormed by incredibly brave fighters – the JCB they’d used to ram the wall still stuck in position. The tension in Tripoli the night that NATO’s air strikes started, our hotel rattling as massive bombs fell on the Colonel’s base a kilometre away. And then being in that same base – the Bab al-Azizia compound – after the capital fell to the opposition and watching incredulous Libyans wandering around their former leader’s underground bunker.

Richard’s story

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For western governments and western journalists alike it felt as if we were scrambling to keep up with such fast-moving events. To understand the forces – some obvious, some hidden, some old, some new – that were driving the changes we saw on the streets was a great challenge. But for me, it is the events in Syria that reveal the complexity of the region (as if this was needed) and the limitations in our response to the desperate images of death and displacement that we’ve seen for the past two years.

In Beirut, I’ve sat and drunk coffee with many young Syrian activists inspired by revolution in North Africa and keen to bring democracy to their country. In Amman, I met one young, devout fighter from Hama who’d been forced to flee to Jordan with his family. He told me how in 1982 he and his mother had dug his father’s body from the rubble of a building flattened by Syrian Army shells. The father was killed in a crackdown on a Muslim Brotherhood rebellion by the President at the time, Hafez al-Assad.

In 2011, the son had been instrumental in organising protests in Hama – again led by the Muslim Brotherhood – against Hafez’s son, Bashar al-Assad. It was another warning that we can get too excited about Facebook and Twitter driving people to the streets; many of the events we’ve witnessed have deep roots.

But both the secular pro-democracy activists and the armed Islamist fighters in Syria increasingly feel powerless. They perceive their uprising as being at the mercy of forces outside their control: the struggle between the Gulf states and Iran, and the tensions between Russia and the West.

In December 2012 I made it back to Damascus for the first time since the trip in 2007. The city rumbled day and night with the sound of shells fired by the Syrian Army hitting certain districts – the echo bouncing off the mountains that surround Damascus. The old city is intact for the moment, but the tourists have disappeared and it empties by dusk. Local residents are fearful of the kidnappings for ransom that are a new threat: unthinkable back in 2007. Syrians now flee to Iraq for sanctuary. And the shopkeepers in the historic souk have watched nervously as Aleppo’s old city has been partly destroyed by fighting. They worry whether Damascus may suffer a similar fate.

In June 2013 I was appointed the BBC’s Bureau Chief for the region. I am fortunate enough to have been allowed to stay in the Middle East and to witness such historic changes for a few more years. Yolande is staying too; she’s now our correspondent reporting on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. It’s a bit of the world that’s hard to leave – especially right now.

45

Peggy Collins VSP, 1995

on the first Friday in April about 40 Mansfield alumni and fans of the College gathered at the Yale Club in New York City. Graduates and Junior Year Abroad students reconnected or exchanged stories for

the first time over a glass of wine, accompanied by the buzz of British-American accents.

The Saybrook Room, with its dark wood panelling and 19th-century paintings, provided the setting for a talk by Joe Klein, political columnist for Time magazine and author of books including Primary Colors. Klein, who is set to spend Hilary term 2014 at Mansfield with his wife, provided a commentary on the state of US government. He also shared his passion for veterans’ stories from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The journalist’s insights sparked questions from alumni. They asked about the prospects of stricter gun laws passing in the US Congress and delved into his thoughts on public service by youth at a time of both great privilege and shaky economies in developed countries.

The banter was fortified when Baroness Helena Kennedy called on Shami Chakrabarti to share her impromptu thoughts. Chakrabarti, an Honorary Fellow of Mansfield and Director of the civil rights organisation, Liberty, was attending the event while on a visit to New York.

Themes of leadership and effective policy, which ran through the evening, gave poignancy to Baroness Kennedy’s update on efforts to create an Institute for Human Rights at the College. It is envisaged the Institute will provide a pathway for students wishing to pursue a career in upholding Human Rights around the world.

As the evening came to a close, talk was already focusing on future events – possibly starting with a visit to a baseball game at the Yankee Stadium. Few wanted to wait long before again experiencing the rejuvenating energy of a Mansfield reunion.

Mansfield’s alumni are spread around the world, and we are keen to support alumni activities in any city where we are strongly represented. Over the past few years we have supported informal reunions in New York, Washington and Hong Kong, and we are hoping to arrange similar alumni-led reunions in the near future. If you would be interested in arranging something similar in your area, and would like to know how many Mansfield alumni are nearby, get in touch!

alumni news

Toby Purser (History, 1989) has joined the list of Mansfield alumni with books to their name, as his historical fiction The Devil’s Inheritance was released in June 2013, followed by a second novel, The Zaharoff Conspiracy, a story of early 20th-century espionage, published in autumn 2013.

Rishi Dastidar (History, 1996) has been selected to be a part of ‘The Complete Works’, an Arts Council-funded development programme for Black and Asian poets, of which Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is the patron.

Sir James Dingemans QC (Law, 1983), has been appointed to the High Court bench and has subsequently been conferred the rank of Knight Bachelor, as is customary for High Court judges. Sir James has also been appointed as the Rugby Football Union’s first Independent Head of Rugby Judiciary, a new post created to safeguard independence between the prosecutorial and judicial functions of discipline at the RFU.

New York Reception

ALuMNI uPDATEs

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The 42nd annual dinner began a little differently this year. Guests arrived for pre-prandial drinks

in the JCR before heading over to the Chapel rather than to Hall for dinner. The new arrangement reflected the extensive works taking place at the College to provide a new refectory, kitchens and formal dining arrangements – works that are now overseen by the striking Antony Gormley sculpture in the Quad.

The dinner in the Chapel was delightful and, for some alumni, an inaugural occasion to dine under the stained-glass windows and statues of such luminaries as John Milton and Oliver Cromwell. As always the event proved a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and tutors, as well as meet the current Mansfield geographers. Tony Lemon, Pam Berry, Derek McCormack and Richard Powell were all present, providing the important connection between geographers past and present.

Nicholas Crane spoke passionately about his experiences as a geographer, television and newspaper journalist and author. He had a clear love of walking, regarding it as one of the best ways to explore landscapes and engage with communities. Twenty years ago, he embarked on an extraordinary, 17-month journey along the chain of mountains that runs from the Atlantic in Spain, to Istanbul in the East. He described his memorable experiences of engaging with little-known ethnic groups residing in the mountains and how, through sharing honey and cheese as a guest in their homes, he gained insight into the lives of people who live on the periphery of the modern world.

Closer to home, Nicholas recounted his walk from one end of England to the other along the line of longitude, two degrees west. From Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Isle of Purbeck he kept to the line as far as possible – even wading through a river in the early hours of the morning (to avoid being spotted by many people) so as not to deviate from the route.

He recounted that one of the more difficult challenges as a broadcaster is explaining complex geographical concepts in a visually engaging manner – and often in under 60 seconds. His desire to share geographical understanding has taken a new twist in his latest project: a captivating World Atlas app that takes the form of a beautifully illustrated and interactive globe. It relies on curiosity, providing more and more information the deeper you explore, making it perfect for introducing young children to the wonders of geography.

Nicholas concluded his speech by considering which geographer is the most important of them all. His answer: Gerard Mercator. That certainly stirred up some after-dinner debate!

1887 society careers EventJames Fisher Geography, 2011

On 31st January 2013, the 1887 Society was proud to welcome six Mansfield Geography alumni back to College to speak about their experiences of the working world.

With experience varying from charity and NGO work to investment banking and industry, these alumni represented the diverse careers into which an education at Mansfield College can take you. Daniel

Thompson (2005) spoke about his experiences of choosing a career and of how to apply for graduate positions, while Anthony Lunch (1964), a contemporary of Dr Tony Lemon, gave a thought-provoking speech about his journey into international development, having set up the MondoChallenge Foundation a few years ago. Cat Francis (2003) emphasised the rewarding nature of a career in the NGO/charity sector, having worked for Fauna & Flora International, a charity devoted to preserving the world’s biodiversity. Also giving us the benefit of his experience, Christopher Birrell (1973) described his training with Price Waterhouse (now Price Waterhouse Coopers, PWC), before becoming an accountant, and then his move into finance/consultancy. The consultancy practice in which he worked operated within both the private and public sectors. Andrew Young (1994) spoke about working abroad, having moved to New York shortly after graduating to take up a position at Credit Suisse. He gave a frank account of the challenges a career in finance can bring, with long hours and job insecurity, especially during a recession. David Williams (1976), now the CEO of Amari Plastics, told us about an unconventional journey into industry: a sector that is under-acknowledged by many graduates leaving university, but highly worthwhile.

Hearing these six eloquent alumni speak, we gained a glimpse into the world awaiting us when we leave University – which for some (including me!) is not very far away.

1887 society Dinner 2013Alexandra Jezeph Geography, 2004

Nicholas Crane, who many will know from the BBC’s Coast series, entertained geography students, tutors, alumni and their guests as speaker for the annual 1887 Society Dinner on May 4th 2013.

1887 soCiety

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The Friends of MCBC is the alumni branch of the Boat Club. While it has existed in different guises since the early days of the club, it has not been active for a number of years. That, however, is

changing. With a small committee of former rowers we are hoping to raise the profile of the club among its former active members, aiming to support the long-term prosperity and continued success of rowing at Mansfield College.

We have begun by establishing an annual drinks event for Boat Club alumni, based in London at the Oxford and Cambridge Club. In 2013, the event was attended by 40 rowers from a range of eras – with each decade from the 1960s having at least one representative. We hope to grow the event in the future as it gives us a great opportunity to come together as a club, meet old friends and reminisce about ‘the good old days’. The date of this year’s event is still to be confirmed, but is expected to be 2nd April 2014. More information will follow.We have also had a successful reunion of the 2003 men’s crew, who won five-bump Blades in Summer Eights. They even managed a post-dinner row on the Sunday, proving to all who saw it that rowing is, indeed, just like riding a bike.

As every rower is aware, rowing is an expensive sport and boats and oars do not last forever. Consequently, we have begun fundraising for an endowment that will secure the future of the club. We want to ensure that future Mansfield students are given the same opportunities that we had to begin our rowing careers. By establishing this fund, with the backing of the College, we are giving everybody the opportunity to give something back that will benefit our club for many years to come. If you are interested in helping with our efforts or wish to reconnect with the club, please get in touch with me at: danielharvey458@gmail.com

Friends of the Boat club Re-launch Dan Harvey Maths, 2005

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The Telethon is a rare opportunity for alumni, from across the world, to speak to current Mansfield students and hear, first-hand, what College is like

today. During the 2013 Telethon, many of you enjoyed sharing your favourite Mansfield memories with callers, as well as offering some much-valued careers advice to the next generation of graduates. In addition, you helped make this year’s Telethon a real triumph by getting behind the Annual Fund’s fundraising priorities, including the Hardship Fund, Mansfield Matters General Fund and, new for 2013, Widening Participation.

Over the two weeks, an astounding £63,000 was pledged to these important areas, making this the most successful Mansfield call campaign to date. On behalf of Mansfield students and our 2013 callers – Alice, Beth, Dan, Grace, Rachel and Priyanaz – thank you for your time and on-going support, which helps make a real difference at your alma mater.

There was a great deal to celebrate following the 2013 Telethon. Not only was it the most successful Mansfield call campaign in terms of amount pledged, but the percentage of alumni contributing to the areas of support was also up on previous years. Every donation we receive is greatly appreciated as, without your support, we simply would not be able to carry out the important projects and student support that helps make Mansfield the place it is today.

If you would like to make a donation to the Annual Fund, or any other area of Mansfield College, please complete and return the donation form included with this publication. Alternatively, donations can be made securely online by visiting www.bitly.com/givetomansfield. Thank you again for your support!

THANk You!From the 2013 Telethon Team

Just before the start of the new academic year, six enthusiastic Mansfield students took on the challenge of contacting hundreds of you as part of the annual Telethon. Two weeks later, they completed what was the most successful Mansfield call campaign to date.

It was fascinating to hear how Mansfield has changed, and to find out about the broad range of careers that Mansfielders are currently in. And the generosity of the alumni was brilliant.Dan, Student caller ’‘

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Whoever attended the Summer Garden Party and the Mansfield Association’s AGM on June 22nd might have been reminded of

the song ‘Wind of Change’ by the German band Scorpions. Mansfield College is undergoing a lot of change. These changes obviously influenced the Association’s AGM; and with the decisions taken, Mansfield Association remains perfectly positioned to support the College on its route while, at the same time, keeping an eye on Mansfield’s heritage and ensuring that this heritage will be reflected in the College’s future.

What are the changes? The most evident one is the College’s new building, and the plans to host a Human Rights Institute. At the Summer Garden Party, the concept for the new building was presented in the form of models and plans. Representatives from the architectural firm patiently explained the details to all attendees. It was very fitting that Chris Bryant MP, guest speaker at the Association’s dinner following the AGM, spoke about his personal experiences in Latin America that highlighted the importance of Human Rights and why we should always uphold and defend them.

With those great plans, our College will face many new challenges. At the same time, it will need to ensure that Mansfield’s tradition of openness and inclusiveness is kept alive. It was thus a great pleasure to give this year’s ‘Student of the Year’ awards to three students who have all done great jobs in supporting Mansfield’s access and outreach work and in taking care for the welfare of students in College. Congratulations again to Dana Mills (DPhil Politics, 2008), Ellie Saunders (History & English, 2010) and Lotty Turner (English, 2010).

The Association’s AGM has further recognised the importance of assisting students in their most urgent needs by authorising the Association’s Committee to fund specific proposals to help students deal with contingencies such as breakdown of computers, with up to £5,000 per year. The AGM also approved a proposal that the Association should match-fund student internships at the Aston-Mansfield charity with up to £2,500 per year.

The changes in the use of the Association’s funds will ensure that we can help the College with great flexibility if, when and where needed. A further very welcome change on the Association’s side is the election of two new members to the Committee. A warm welcome goes to Andrew Daykin (English, 1963) and Saskia Hoskins (History, 2010).

All these changes mark exciting times full of hope and expectation. In the words of the Scorpions: ‘The future is in the air; I can feel it everywhere, blowing with the wind of change. Take me to the magic of the moment on a glory night where the children of tomorrow dream away, in the wind of change.’

THE MANsFIELD AssocIATIoN

Students of the Year 2013: Ellie Saunders, Dana Mills and Lotty Turner

President’s Report Daniel Seiderer MBA, 2007

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A Word from a New committee Member Saskia Hoskins History, 2010

on June 22nd, after spending the afternoon helping out at the Summer Garden Party, treasure hunting with a group of children in fancy dress and having my face painted (see photo top right), I was sent to the meeting of the MA to present the

case for funding of the JCR’s projects with Aston-Mansfield, our partner charity. At the beginning of the meeting, three students were presented with the Student of the Year award: the first time in the award’s history that it has been split three ways. DPhil student, former Junior Dean and porter, and keeper of our esteemed College cat Erasmus, Dana Mills won her award for her long service to College. Charlotte Turner earned her award for her commitment to welfare, her work on the JCR Bench and her all-round involvement in College life. Eleanor Saunders scooped up the award for her commitment to Mansfield, for her hard work in ACACAF (Access and Academic Affairs) for the JCR, as well as for being a member of almost every sports team there is. Further important matters followed. The Mansfield Association voted to support the students of the JCR in their work with Aston-Mansfield. The charity’s various community centres, based in London’s poorest borough, Newham, are the pillar of the local area. Aston-Mansfield is the legacy of the Mansfield Settlement, founded in the early 20th century by Mansfield students who went to Newham after their studies and worked in the local community. Although the Mansfield Settlement is no more, our students have in recent years sought to rekindle the relationship with this outstanding charity through fundraising and volunteering. Finally, through some strange twist of fate, I was mysteriously elected to become a full voting member of

the Mansfield Association – despite the smudged paint making its way across my face. I would fully encourage all alumni who feel a strong attachment to Mansfield and who would like to remain a part of College life to get involved in the Mansfield Association. The commitment is not demanding, as meetings are not too frequent, but the chance to make a real difference to student life is great. Also, committee members get to go to gala dinners for free… the Mansfield Association – recruiting now!

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THE REv PAuL BENJAMIN gREEN Theology, 1949

Paul Green was born on June 29th 1928 in Stourbridge, Worcestershire. He graduated in English at Birmingham University before entering Mansfield College (1949) to read Theology in preparation for the Congregational ministry. With other Mansfield ordinands, he rowed for St Catherine’s Boat Club.

A keen member of the Student Christian Movement, Paul welcomed the growing hopes of closer ecumenism. In 1952 he married Betty and embarked on 12 years of ministry, first in Stretford, Manchester, then in Low Fell, Gateshead. In 1964 he transferred to teaching English

and Religious Education at Whitley Bay Grammar School. In retirement at Low Fell and later at Bicester he continued to influence many, old and young, by his sharing of poetry, peace-making and God’s gospel of love.

When Paul fell ill with motor neurone disease, his faith shone undiminished. He died peacefully on December 24th 2012, aged 84. Betty, their sons Christopher and John and their families survive him.

By the Rev Donald Schofield (Theology, 1949)

PRoF MALcoLM PARkEs Lecturer in English

Professor Malcolm Beckwith Parkes, who died on May 10th 2013, made a significant contribution early in Mansfield’s years as a Permanent Private Hall, before moving to a very distinguished career elsewhere. He was the College’s Lecturer in English Language and in Medieval Literature throughout the 1960s and, together with his colleague in English Literature, the late Stephen Wall, was Mansfield’s first academic appointment outside of Theology. At the same time, he held a lecturership at Keble College, advanced to a fellowship in 1965.

Palaeography, the study of ancient writing systems and texts, was Malcolm’s specialism, and he was a world authority on the scribes and manuscripts of the medieval period and on the history of the book. Among much else, he transformed ways of working in his field through a series of classic publications, notably English Cursive Book Hands, 1250-1500 (1969), Medieval Manuscripts of Keble College, Oxford: a Descriptive Catalogue (1979),

Scribes, Scripts and Readers (1991), Pause and Effect: an Introduction to the History of Punctuation in the West (1992), and Their Hands before Our Eyes: a Closer Look at Scribes (2008). In 1985 he was awarded an Oxford DLitt and in 1996 a personal chair in palaeography. His visiting and overseas appointments included membership of the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton.

The wit and incisiveness, as well as the erudition, of his renowned books were already evident to those of us who were his pupils at Mansfield in the 1960s. The clarity and order of his thinking – though not always of his day-to-day life! – set a standard that some of us aspired to emulate. He was also a tutor of robust friendliness, generous with his time, his companionship, and his whisky.

Malcolm’s wife Ann Dodman predeceased him, and he is survived by their two sons.

By John Creaser (Emeritus Fellow in English)

It is with sadness that we note the passing of the following alumni and friends of Mansfield college

oBituaries

DR RoBERT coATEs Lecturer in Mathematics

Bob Coates first came to Mansfield in 1986, to cover Janet Dyson’s maternity leave, and stayed on until his retirement in 2003, becoming a Stipendiary Lecturer in 1989. His contribution to Mansfield was immense. He was an excellent mathematician and one of the best teachers of mathematics either of us have ever encountered, thinking carefully and deeply about how to explain complex mathematical ideas. For Janet he was a wise and supportive col-league, particularly in admissions, where his gentle yet persistent probing helped candidates to show what they could do. For his students he was a much appreciated tutor and mentor, as can be seen by the many emails from alumni that the College received after his death. Indeed, a group of students plans to endow a maths prize in his memory.

Bob’s day (and evening and weekend!) job was at the Open University, for which he worked as a Staff Tutor based at the Open University’s Oxford office from 1975 to 1997. With his closest colleague Derek Goldrei, who succeeded him at Mansfield, he managed a team of over 100 part-time tutors on the OU’s maths and computing courses and helped to create and run several of these

courses. His most significant contributions were to the OU’s Mathematics Foundation Course M101, studied by over 100,000 students across its lifespan. Bob not only drafted a considerable proportion of the course materials, but also helped run the summer schools and devised and present-ed many of its TV and radio programmes. With his acting skills, he was a natural choice for the latter! Bob and Derek co-presented over 60 radio programmes, basing themselves shamelessly on the Two Ronnies, and Bob was for many years one

of the key faces and voices for OU mathematics with the BBC.

As well as his deep interest in mathematics, Bob’s cultural interests ranged widely from art, music and literature to ceramics and architecture. The theatre was one of his passions and he was very proud that he held a Canadian professional Equity ticket and had played Potso in the first professional production in Canada of Waiting for Godot. He was a man of extraordinary generosity, giving freely of his time and knowledge. Bob leaves Heather, his wife of 46 years, and will be sorely missed by his many friends, and his colleagues at both OUs (Open and Oxford).

By Janet Dyson (Emertius Fellow in Mathematics) and Derek Goldrei (Fellow in Mathematics)

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THE REv JoHN DEREk JoNEs Dip Theology, 1949

John Derek Jones was born in Wallasey, Merseyside on April 12th 1927. During the war he was evacuated to Ruthin in Wales. He loved to climb and was proud of his accomplishment of climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He first attended Oxford University in 1948, where he obtained an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics; he then attended Mansfield College where he was awarded a Diploma in Theology.

In May 1954 Derek was appointed by the London Missionary Society to serve in its Southern Africa Field in Maun in the North of the Bechuanaland Protectorate. This was followed by periods of time in Lobatse and Kanye, Botswana. In 1965 he was posted to Gaborone and asked to gather the LMS people together to find a plot and build an interdenominational church, and that is where we are gathered today – Trinity Church. Derek was the Minister of Trinity from 1965 to 1972. He was always very proud to tell us that David Livingstone’s

London Missionary Society number was 1, and his was 197 – Derek was the last LMS Missionary in Africa.

Throughout his years in Botswana, Derek was part of huge changes in the country, being appointed the first Mayor of Gaborone in 1966 after serving on the town council throughout

the city’s development. He was awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1968 and was granted Botswana Citizenship by His Excellency the President. He received the Paul Harris award for services to the community twice.

Derek will be sorely missed by his four children and their spouses, ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren: a very great Papa who will be greatly missed. He is now with the loves of his life – God, and his wife Joan.

Taken from the order of service at the Rev Jones’ funeral, March 9th 2013

cHARLoTTE HAILs Geography, 2001

Charlotte Adelin Hails, a former Mansfield student, died aged 30 on June 12th 2013. Charlotte distinguished herself in her short life by her many considerable achievements, her selfless nature and her positive spirit in the face of great adversity.

Charlotte was born in 1983 and grew up near Buxton in the Peak District. She was noted by her former headmistress as a talented violinist, and music was a large part of Charlotte’s life: she played in several University orchestras while at Oxford, and later in London in the Lambeth Orchestra.

Charlotte was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15, but she spent much of her time helping others, notably at a summer camp in Florida in 1998 working with disabled children and teenagers. She fought illness with fortitude, and despite delaying treatment to complete her exams, gained five A grades at A level. She matriculated in 2001 and read Geography. Studious and dedicated, she approached her studies with enthusiasm. Despite the repeated need for further surgery on her tumour, she remained remarkably positive and never let it affect her academic work. She was always keen to try new activities, including a disastrous first outing of the Mansfield women’s Eight, which landed the entire crew in the Cherwell! Charlotte moved to London after graduating, gaining a place on the highly competitive NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme. She later worked for Bromley Healthcare, motivated by her strong desire to improve NHS service delivery. Unfortunately the cancer continued to return despite treatment. This interrupted her work, but not her enthusiasm for helping others, particularly in supporting the International Society of Paediatric Oncology at conferences and the charities The Rhinology and Laryngology Research Fund and Facing the World, which supports children with severe facial disfigurement.

Charlotte’s interests were many. A tireless Bon Jovi fan, she saw every gig she could, travelling around the country during their UK tour. She also had a passion for

Scottish music, playing at an annual music festival on the Isle of Lewis every year she could for two decades. In 1997, late in choosing a school trip, she found that a cricket match was the only option available; this was the beginning of her becoming a huge cricket fan, and she enjoyed meeting the England cricket team in 2011 in an event organised by the Willow Foundation. Charlotte also enjoyed

walking in the Peak District and Scotland, in particular Rannoch Moor and Glencoe (‘one of my favourite places in the world’), where she and her parents spent her last summer holiday in August 2012. She remained a keen walker right up to the end of her life, which came sooner than any of us, Charlotte included, expected.

Charlotte took part in trials of a new cancer drug, and was excited that this might provide life-changing treatment for others in the future. Her surgeon spoke movingly at her funeral of the huge impact that she had on those around her. People have asked him about her more than any other patient in his career, because of the unique impression she left on people by her strength of character in adversity. In his words, ‘Charlotte didn’t live to be 90, but in her 30 years she left more of a positive impact on others’ lives than many of us will, even if we live to be 90’. A favourite quotation of Charlotte’s that epitomises her own principles comes from a prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr:

‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.’ Charlotte’s funeral was held at St Bartholomew’s, Longnor, Staffordshire, on June 19th 2013, and she is buried in Longnor graveyard. She is survived by her parents, Jason and Doreen. Charlotte expressed the wish that any donations be sent to the charities mentioned above.

By James Blackburn (Geography, 2001), with help from Jamie Vicary (Physics, 2001), Imran Mubeen (Physics, 2001) and Tony Lemon (Emeritus Fellow in Geography)

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Ros BALLAsTERProfessor of 18th-Century Studies and Tutorial Fellow in English

Ros was awarded £5625 from Oxford University Fell Fund to run a workshop at Mansfield College on October 5th-6th 2013 on ‘Theatre and Novel in Georgian England’. Recent Publications‘Taking Liberties: Revisiting Behn’s Libertinism’, in Women’s Writing, 19, no.2 (2012).

‘Rivals for the Repertory: Theatre and Novel in Georgian London’, in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Theatre Research, 27, no.1 (2013).

‘“Heart-Easing Mirth”: Charm in the Eighteenth Century’, in Essays in Criticism 63:3 (July 2013).

JAMEs MARRoWProfessorial Fellow in Materials Science

James has received an EPSRC award for his research project ‘QUBE: QUasi-Brittle fracture: a 3D Experimentally-Validated Approach’.

Recent Publications Mostafavi, M., McDonald, S.A., Çetinel, H., Mummery, P.M., Marrow, T.J.‘Flexural Strength and Defect Behaviour of Polygranular Graphite under Different States of Stress’ in Carbon, 59 (2013).

Duff, J.A., Marrow, T.J. ‘In Situ Observation of Short Fatigue Crack Propagation in Oxygenated Water at Elevated Temperature and Pressure’ in Corrosion Science, 68 (2013).

PAM BERRYSupernumerary Fellow in Geography

Pam led the team undertaking the research that informed the UK Adaptation Sub-Committee’s report ‘Managing the Land in a Changing Climate’, which addresses the use of land to continue to deliver important goods and services in the face of a changing climate – supplying food and timber, providing habitat for wildlife, storing carbon in the soil, and coping with sea-level rise on the coast.

Recent PublicationsBerry, P., Ogawa-Onishi, Y. and McVey, A. ‘The Vulnerability of Threatened Species: Adaptive Capability and Adaptation Opportunity’ in Biology, 2(3) (2013).

Ogawa-Onishi, Y. and Berry, P.M. ‘Ecological Impacts of Climate Change in Japan: the Importance of Integrating Local and International Publications’ in Biological Conservation, 157 (2013).

Berry, P. ‘Habitat Sensitivity to Climate Change’ in Ellwanger, G., Symank, A. and Paulsch, C. (eds.) Natura 2000 and Climate Change – a Challenge (2012).

ANDREW gosLERSupernumerary Fellow in Human Sciences

Andrew has just secured a £600,000 grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to establish EWA – the Ethno-ornithology World Archive. The EWA is an interdisciplinary collaborative project linking the University of Oxford’s Department of Zoology, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, BirdLife International, the Endangered Languages Project (ELAR) at SOAS, and Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. It will be a free-access, global database of culturally-relevant data relating to birds. Its formation will involve the development of grass-root networks of conservationists and local communities empowering people to engage in bird conservation in a culturally-relevant way. EWA will facilitate the use of Local and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in conservation research and practice, promote research in ethno-ornithology, and act as an innovative public-facing web-based access to the data.

HELEN LAcEYSupernumerary Fellow in Late Medieval History

In 2013 Helen completed her AHRC Early Career Fellowship (January 2012-April 2013).

Recent Publications‘Political Consciousness and Official Forms of Writing in Later Medieval England’ in Cahiers électroniques d’histoire textuelle du LAMOP (CEHTL), Laboratoire de Médiévistique Occidentale de Paris, Institut de Traditions Textuelles, Villejuif, Université Paris 1 (2013).

DAvID LEoPoLDJohn Milton Fellow and Tutorial Fellow in Politics

Recent Publications‘Marx’, in (eds.) Gaus J. and D’Agostino F., Routledge Companion to Social and Political Philosophy (Routledge, 2013).

‘Education and Utopia’, in (eds.) Brooke C. and Frazer E., Ideas of Education: Philosophy and Politics from Plato to Dewey (Routledge, 2013).

‘Marxism and Ideology’ in (eds.) Freeden M., Stears M., and Tower Sargent L., The Oxford Handbook to Political Ideologies (OUP, 2013).

PAuL LoDgETutorial Fellow in Philosophy

Recent PublicationsLeibniz’s Correspondence with De Volder. Edition and translation based on manuscript sources (Yale, 2013).

‘Corporeal Substances as Monadic Composites in Leibniz’s Later Philosophy,’ in (ed.) Nita A. Between Continuity and Transformation: Leibniz on Substance and Substantial Forms (Springer, 2013 ).

HELEN MARgETTsProfessorial Fellow in Society and the Internet

Recent PublicationsMargetts, H., and Dunleavy, P. ‘The Second Wave of Digital-Era Governance: a Quasi-Paradigm for Government on the Web’ in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 371 (2013).

Margetts, H. John, P. and Hale, S. ‘Leadership without Leaders: Starters and Followers in Online Collective Action’ in Political Studies: 64(4) (2013).

Margetts, H. ‘The Internet and Democracy’, in Dutton W. (ed.) Oxford Handbook of Internet Studies (OUP, 2013).

Fellows’ Research and Publications

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kATHERINE MoRRIsSupernumerary Fellow in Philosophy

Recent Publications‘Anorexia: Beyond the Body Uncanny’ (commentary on Fredrik Svenaeus’ ‘Anorexia and the Body Uncanny’) in Philosophy, Psychology, Psychiatry (2013).

‘Body Image Disorders’ in Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry (eds.) Fulford K.W.M. et al (OUP, 2013).

MIcHèLE MENDELssoHNTutorial Fellow in English

In 2014, Michèle will be the Donald C. Gallup Fellow in American Literature at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. There, she will examine archives relevant to her project on early 20th-century African American writers.

Recent Publications‘Oscar Wilde, Henry James and the Fate of Aestheticism’ in Powell K. and Raby P. (eds.) Oscar Wilde in Context (CUP, 2013).

‘Beautiful Souls Mixed up with Hooked Noses: Art, Degeneration and Anti-Semitism in Trilby and The Master’ in Victorian Literature and Culture 40.1 (2012).

‘Notes on Oscar Wilde’s Transatlantic Gender Politics’ in Journal of American Studies 46.1 (2012).

ALIsoN sALvEsENSupernumerary Fellow in Oriental Studies

Recent Publications‘The Role of Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion in Modern Commentaries on the Bible’ in Let Us Go Up to Zion: Essays in Honour of H.G.M. Williamson on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday, (eds.) Provan I. and Boda M. (Brill, 2012). ‘Did Aquila and Symmachus Shelter Under the Rabbinic Umbrella?’ in Greek Scripture and the Rabbis, (eds.) Law, Timothy M. Law and Salvesen, Alison G, CBET 66 (Peeters Press, 2012).

‘Textual and Literary Criticism and the Book of Exodus: The Role of the Septuagint’ in Biblical Interpretation and Method: Essays in Honour of John Barton, (eds.) Joyce, P.M. and Dell K. (OUP, 2013).

sTEPHEN BLuNDELLProfessorial Fellow in Physics

Stephen was awarded a research council grant to upgrade substantially the Nicholas Kurti Magnetic Field Laboratory that provides access to the highest magnetic fields available within the UK. He also appeared as one of the guests on Melvyn Bragg’s BBC Radio 4 programme In Our Time in March 2013, which was devoted to the subject of ‘Absolute Zero’; this is still available as a podcast. Recent PublicationsBurrard-Lucas M., Free D. G., Sedlmaier S. J., Wright J. D., Cassidy S. J., Hara Y., Corkett A. J., Lancaster T., Baker P. J., Blundell S. J. and Clarke S. J. ‘Enhancement of the Superconducting Transition Temperature of FeSe by Intercalation of a Molecular Spacer Layer’ in Nature Materials 12 (2013).

Pratt F. L., Lancaster T., Blundell S. J., and Baines C. ‘Low-Field Superconducting Phase of (TMTSF)2ClO4’ in Physical Review Letters 110, 107005 (2013).

Blundell S. J., Möller J. S., Lancaster T., Baker P. J., Pratt F. L., Seber G. and Lahti P. M., ‘μSR Study of Magnetic Order in the Organic Quasi-One-Dimensional Ferromagnet F4BImNN’ in Physical Review B 88, 064423 (2013).

JAsoN sMITHHewlett Packard Tutorial Fellow in Materials Science

Details about Jason’s research group, the Photonic Nanomaterials Group, can be found at www-png.materials.ox.ac.uk

Recent PublicationsGrazioso F., Patton B. R., Delaney P., Markham M. L., Twitchen D. J., and Smith J. M. ‘Measurement of the Full Stress Tensor in a Crystal Using Photoluminescence from Point Defects: The Example of Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Diamond, in Applied Physics Letters 103, 101905 (2013).

Wildanger D., Patton B. R., Schill H., Marseglia L., Hadden J. P., Knauer S., Schönle A., Rarity J. G., O’Brien J. L., Hell S. W., and Smith J. M., ‘Solid Immersion Facilitates Fluorescence Microscopy with Nanometre Resolution and Sub-Angstrom Emitter Localization, in Advanced Materials 24, OP309 (2012).

Di Z. Y., Jones H. V., Dolan P. R., Fairclough S. M., Wincott M. B., Fill J., Hughes G. M., and Smith J. M., ‘Controlling the Emission from Semiconductor Quantum Dots Using Ultra-Small Tunable Optical Microcavities, in New Journal of Physics 14, 103048 (2012).

JoEL RAsMussENTutorial Fellow in Theology & Religion

Recent Publications‘Kierkegaard, Hegelianism, and the Theology of Paradox’ in The Impact of Idealism: The Legacy of Post-Kantian German Thought, vol.4 (eds.) Adams N., Boyle N., and Disley L. (CUP, 2013).

‘Mysticism as a Category of Inquiry in the Philosophies of Ernst Troeltsch and William James’ in Exploring Lost Dimensions in Christian Mysticism: Opening to the Mystical, (eds.) Nelstrop L. and Podmore S. (Ashgate, 2013).

RIcHARD PoWELLTutorial Fellow in Geography

In 2013, Richard received the Gill Memorial Award from the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) for ‘research in historical and Polar geography’. The Gill Memorial Award is given for the encouragement of geographical research in early-career researchers (within 10 years of completing their PhD) who have shown great potential.

Recent Publications‘Questions on the Canon?’ in Dialogues in Human Geography 2(3), (2012).

‘Echoes of the New Geography? History and Philosophy of Geography I,’ in Progress in Human Geography 36(4), (2012). Dodds, K. and Powell, R.C. ‘Polar Geopolitics: New Researchers on the Polar Regions’ in The Polar Journal 3(1), (2013).

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DOCTORATE (DPhil)

EngineeringPass Isaiah Adekanmbi

EnglishPass Naomi Garner-Mack

Geography & the EnvironmentPass Justin van der Merwe

HistoryPass Samuel Brewitt-Taylor Valentina Pugliano

Materials SciencePass Simon Fairclough Sheena Shah Paul Styman

PhilosophyPass Katherine Munn

PhysicsPass Graeme Johnstone

Economics Pass Julien Labonne EngineeringPass Karen Simonyan

MASTER’S DEGREES

MPhil EconomicsPass Leander Heldring Teng Ma

BPhil PhilosophyPass Kevin Ashby Nora Heinzelmann

MSc Applied StatisticsDist Philipp Burckhardt Kenneth Lim Chu MingPass Yudan Deng Yiming Zhang

MSc Clinical EmbryologyPass Devika Chopra

MSc Computer SciencePass Shaun Rudge

MSc Mathematical Modelling & Scientific ComputingDist Alpha Lee

MSc Nature, Society & Environmental PolicyPass Aerica Banks

MSc in Water Science, Policy & ManagementPass Ryoichi Suga

MSt in English Dist Stephanie Pope

MSt in English & American StudiesPass Alicia Walters

MSt in Jewish StudiesPass Allison Lipton Amy Winkle

MSt in Legal ResearchPass Randall Stephenson Kei Takeshita

MSt in Medieval HistoryPass Jessica McNally

MSt in Medieval StudiesDist Maud Hurley

MSt in Modern British & European HistoryDist Jillian Plummer

MSt in Modern Jewish StudiesPass Peter Bergamin

MSt in Study of ReligionPass Tushar Shah

MSt in TheologyDist Lucy Busfield

MBA Pass Aiba Akiko William Innes Kenichiro Kono Mi Sung Lee Deepak Patnaik Dong Hee Seo

BCLDist Kamille Adair Morgan Daniel Burridge Nikita Tuckett Thomas WindsorPass James Fagan Julian Ried Cherese Thakur Kawsar Zaman

MASTER OF ENGINEERING (MEng)Engineering ScienceClass I James SmithClass 2.i Christian ProctorClass 2.ii Shabbir Khan

Engineering, Economics & ManagementClass 2.i Claire Ward

Materials ScienceClass I Alexander Ford Anna PloszajskiClass 2.i Mark Holdstock

MASTER OF MATHEMATICSMathematicsClass I Shaan Dalwadi Sean Moorhead Andrew Parker

Maths & StatisticsClass I Ho-Joon Kim

BACHELOR OF ARTS (BA)

English Language & LiteratureClass 2.i Josephine Bond Dionne Farrell Charlotte Turner Emma Wilson-Black

GeographyClass I Oliver Cohen George Hasell-McCoshClass 2.i Thomas Adlam Matthew Dodd Leah Grint Connell Stewart

2013 Examination Results

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HistoryClass I Holly Haines Emma MoberlyClass 2.i Hugo Fearon Samuel Firman Saskia Hoskins Anisa Kassamali Sophie Willson

History & EnglishClass I Sophie WilsonClass 2.i Eleanor Saunders

History & PoliticsClass I Jia Xin Audrey Ho

Human SciencesClass 2.i Maisie Jenkinson Rosemary Kanuritch JurisprudenceClass 2.i Katherine Dean Alexia Inglessis David Lukic Katri Piiparinen

MathematicsClass 2.i †Adrian David Robert McPherson †Robert PeckClass 2.ii Lauren McFadyen Fiona Murphy

Oriental StudiesClass I Susanna Elliott Bridget Gill

PPEClass 2.i Thomas Capper Sophie Cote Noam Finkelstein Joseph Holloway Oliver WoodClass 2.ii Wallace Martin-Kerr

PhysicsClass 2.i Samuel Nemzer

Physics Part B (4 years)Class 2.i †Kristiyan Ivanov †Daniel Keeling

TheologyClass I Jack Andrews Beth Hodgett Joanna Williams Class 2.i Jonathan Gemmell

UNCLASSIFIED HONOURS

Engineering Science/EEM Part BPass Imogen Buchan Samuel Knight Christopher Lee Evans David Wharton

Materials Science/ MEM Part IPass Sarah Connolly Alexander Edwards Katherine Hazelton George Heppel Jun Li

Mathematics Part APass Reuben Adams Andrew Allan Thomas Clarke Bianca Iordache Lothar Krapp Guo-Liang Ma Physics Part APass Thomas Jollans Franziska Kirschner Chun Hei Alex Li Calin Mocanu Oliver Sheridan-Methven Leong Khim Wong MODERATIONS

EnglishDist Thomas Blower Luke RollasonPass Kathryn Butterworth Lucy Cullen Toni Goodall Eleanor Layhe Eleanor Newis Lauren O’Neill Jonathan Tullett Tamsyn Woodman

JurisprudencePass Thomas Bates Hector Craft Katie-Ann Major PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS

EngineeringDist Chutian Huang Zhi Yuan WongPass Gianluca Bush Frederick Fielding Sarab Sethi Engineering, Economics & Management Pass Ulysse Schnyder

GeographyDist Emma Nelmes Alice WillcoxPass Rebecca Dellar Lucy Long Philippa Reid Christopher Speller HistoryDist Ping LohPass Joanna Hawkins Victoria Hawley

Rebecca Hird Catriona Jones Eleanor Lacey Ariane Moshiri Kirtan Patel History & EnglishPass Charlotte Ezaz Grace Wyld

History & PoliticsPass Matilda Slight

Human SciencesDist Karolina Kalinowska

Materials Science Dist Katherine DanksPass Suraj Bhattacherjee India Kirkpatrick Joseph Manktelow Pieran Maru Jack Shuttleworth

MathematicsDist Adam MonkPass Thomas Babb Hyder Razak Jack Violet Jonathan Woodward

Oriental StudiesDist Benjamin SkrettingPass Barry Sadid

PPEPass Florence Bates Alexander Botham Adam Deane Hannah Dewhirst Oliver Feltham Aaron Hanson Alexandra Jennings Saira Khan Rayan Sabbah

Philosophy & TheologyPass Edmund Ho

PhysicsPass Anthony Ewins Amy Francis Iain Mandale Alex Nim Daniel Shipley TheologyDist Patrick FergusonPass Luke Cornelius Nastassia Dhanraj Diploma in Legal StudiesPass Matteo Marabini

†Staying on for 4 year MMaths/MPhys

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UNIvERSITY PRIzES

Winter Williams Prize in International Economic Law Kamille Adair Morgan (BCL)

Law Faculty Prize in European Intellectual Property Law Nikita Tuckett (BCL)

Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers Prize Personal Taxation Thomas Windsor (BCL)

Johnson Matthey Prize for best overall performance in Materials Prelims Katherine Danks

Best Oxford University Materials Team Design Project 2012-13 George Heppel (MEM) and Katherine Hazelton (Materials)

Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) R H Craven Prize for ‘Best Graduate with Excellence in Polymer Materials’ Anna Ploszajski (Materials)

Gibbs Prize for Mods Luke Rollason (English)

Gibbs Book Prize for FHS Audrey Ho (History & Politics)

2013 College and University Prizes

SCHOLARSHIPS

Andrew Allan (Mathematics)Thomas Blower (English)Katherine Danks (Materials Science)Patrick Ferguson (Theology) Nicholas Hooton (Engineering)Chutian Huang (EEM)Benjamin Janoff (Engineering)Karolina Kalinowska (Human Sciences)Franziska Kirschner (Physics) Samuel Knight (Engineering)Ping Loh (History)Adam Monk (Mathematics)Emma Nelmes (Geography)Luke Rollason (English)Benjamin Skretting (Oriental Studies)Zhi Yuan Wong (Engineering Science)Alice Willcox (Geography)

Worsley Prize for LawDavid Lukic

Horton Davies Prize for best second year work in TheologySophie Giles

Mason Lowance Prize in memory of Stephen Wall for best performance in English FinalsSophie Wilson (History & English)

Mason Lowance Prize in honour of John Creaser for best 2nd Year English EssayCharles Roe

Mason Lowance Prize in memory of Malcolm Parkes for best distinction- level performance in English PrelimsLuke Rollason

Mahony Prize for HistoryEnrica Biasi

Sarah & Peter Harkness PrizePatrick Ferguson (Theology)

College Essay PrizeHolly Haines (History)

Henty Prize for outstanding second year work in GeographyThomas Sowerby (Geography)

visiting Student Prize for 2012-13Margaret Woods (Santa Clara University)

Science PrizeKatherine Danks (Materials)Franziska Kirschner (Physics)

The Principal’s Prize for outstanding academic performanceAndrew Allan (Maths)Lothar Krapp (Maths)Adam Monk (Maths)

COLLEGE PRIzES

EXHIBITIONS

Alexander Brant (Engineering)Rachel Brook (English) Kathryn Butterworth (English)Hector Craft (Law) Rachel Dishington (History & English)Frederick Fielding (Engineering)Ulysse Schynder (EEM)Jack Shuttleworth (Materials)Adam Sewell (Philosophy & Theology)

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FEBRUARYThursday 13th Alumni Drinks Reception in New YorkThe Campbell Apartment, Grand Central Station, New YorkOrganised with John Zolidis and Peggy Collins MARCHMonday 17th Alumni Drinks Reception in LondonAn Evening with Baroness Helena Kennedy QC Doughty Street Chambers, 54 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LS Places are limited. Please RSVP to alumni.officer@mansfield.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible.

Tuesday 18thThe Adam von Trott Memorial Scholarship AppealAnnual Lecture: Speaker: The Rt Hon Lord Owen CH, former Foreign SecretaryThe Hidden Perspective: The Military Conversations of 1906-14.

German House, 24 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PZ Attendance by invitation from the Ambassador. Please notify the Development Office by the end of February if you wish to attend.

Friday 21st to Sunday 23rdMeeting Minds: Alumni Weekend in Asia (Hong Kong)See www.alumniweekend.ox.ac.uk for programme and booking.

APRILWednesday 2ndMCBC London DrinksThe Oxford and Cambridge ClubPall Mall, London SW1Y 5HD Tickets are £25 through the Development Office. Please RSVP to alumni.officer@mansfield.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible.

Friday 11th to Saturday 12thMeeting Minds: Alumni Weekend in North America (NYC)See www.alumniweekend.ox.ac.uk for programme and booking.

Mansfield’s drinks event will be held on the evening of Monday 14th April at the Crosby Street Hotel. Principal Helena Kennedy and Development Director Helen Jones very much look forward to meeting you. Places are limited, so please RSVP to alumni.officer@mansfield.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible.

TBC (Provisional Event) Old Boys Cricket Match vs. the M&Ms First XI Please note this event is dependent upon enough prior interest being expressed. Please get in touch with the Development Office ASAP if you are interested in taking part. Date and venue TBC.

TBC (Provisional Event)Students’ Law Society Event Date and details TBC.

MAYWednesday 7thAnnual Hands Lecture Speaker: Leading American Lawyer, Mr David Boies Examination Schools, 81 High St, Oxford OX1 4AS.

Saturday 10thThe 1887 Society Annual Dinner The annual dinner of the Society of current and former Mansfield Geographers.

Saturday 31stMCBC Eights Week Dinner Come and join us for the climactic Saturday of Eights Week and join us afterward for dinner and speeches from this year’s MCBC captains.

JUNESaturday 28th Garden Party, Commemoration Service, and Mansfield Association DinnerOur annual event to celebrate the end of another academic year at Mansfield. Open to all students past and present, College staff, SCR members and all family and friends of the College.

SEPTEMBERSaturday 20th to Sunday 21st Oxford Alumni Weekend (Oxford)See www.alumniweekend.ox.ac.uk for programme and booking. In 2014 we aim to have more Mansfield-oriented events than in previous years. Further information and invitations will be sent out in due course.

DECEMBERLondon DrinksDate and venue TBC.

Events Calendar 2014 Events held at College unless otherwise specified

Our events calendar is always subject to additions, which we shall keep you informed about via e-Newsletter and on our website.

For further information on any of these events, or to book a place, please contact Alumni Officer, Aparajita Kashyap

Email: alumni.officer@mansfield.ox.ac.ukTelephone 0044 (0) 1865 270 998

We look forward to seeing you all in the coming year!

DATEs oF TERM FoR 2014Hilary: January 19th to March 15thTrinity: April 27th to June 21st Michaelmas: October 12th to December 6th

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