Oriel News 2019

ISSUE 21 | SUMMER 2019

FROM SPIRES TO INSPIRING The unexpected journey to becoming a filmmaker

SCR SPOTLIGHT How the body clock is set to time

THE LIFE OF JEREMY CATTO

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

Dr Catto's obituary from The Times

Adventures of our alumni and students

HIDDEN TREASURES Oriel's Magna Carta

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CONTENTS

Oriel could not do the great work it does without the passion, support and involvement from our alumni base. Our community extends to every Orielensis throughout the world.

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ISSUE 21 | SUMMER 2019 PROVOST’S WELCOME

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WW1 CENTENARY

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COLLEGE NEWS

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INDUSTRY FOCUS

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ORIEL CALLING

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THE SIXTH FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

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JCR REPORT

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FROM SPIRES TO INSPIRING

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MCR REPORT

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EVENT REPORT

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INSIDE STORY

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A LASTING IMPACT

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ZANE DALAL – LEADING THE WAY

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UNIVERSIFY EDUCATION

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ALUMNI NEWS

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BOOK CORNER

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YOUR VIEWS

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

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Neil Mendoza discusses his first few months in his new role

Some general updates from Oriel

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Telephone campaign update

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Interview with our new Librarian

How we honoured this anniversary

A look at Orielenses working in the technology sector

The Information Revolution and its impact on society

The unexpected journey to becoming a filmmaker

Why legacies are important to Oriel

SCR SPOTLIGHT

How the body clock is set to time

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From organ scholar to a distinguished international career in music

FELLOWS’ NEWS

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Updates from the Fellows

Orielensis-led outreach charity

THE LIFE OF JEREMY CATTO

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MECHANICAL SYMPATHY

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ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

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Dr Catto’s obituary from The Times

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How we can improve the performance of our bodies

Adventures of our alumni and students

HIDDEN TREASURES Oriel’s Magna Carta

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Front cover image of Yamin Tun taken by Tashi Hope, taken on location at Muriwai, Auckland, New Zealand 2 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

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Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 3

COLLEGE NEWS

WELCOME

COLLEGE NEWS Oriel Celebrates Undergraduate Academic Results

Goldie Building and Doll’s House Get Face-Lifts Amelia Wallace, Mitzi and Neil Mendoza

WELCOME L

ife has operated at a cracking pace since starting at Oriel last September. I have been completely inspired by the energy and drive of Oriel people – our academics, our staff and our wonderful students.

I have met almost all current students individually during Collections, at dinners, down by the river and even in the College bars.

The single most overwhelming impression I get from them is that they love and appreciate our College. That common refrain sweeps across two broad themes. First, that Oriel is a friendly, close, supportive community across both the JCR and the MCR. Secondly, that students value the consistently high standard of education provided by their tutors. I hear so often that subject tutors are enormously appreciated for their teaching, inspiration and individual care.

Our students are, of course, busily involved in a wide range of activities within and outside Oriel. I went out training with the W1 boat recently (comfortably in the launch) and watched how a number of the rowers, after gruelling training, ran off the river at Wallingford to motor back to Oriel in time for choir practice.

I’ve also learned that Alternative Ice Hockey is a big thing played over midnight sessions. The repertoire of student activities - be it a cappella singing, writing and directing plays, commitment to sport or evenings spent together in close, slow reading of Plato - reflects the College’s strengths excelling in many things.

The work of our Fellows puts Oriel at the forefront of research and innovation. I’d like to cite a few examples. The pioneering research on longevity by Professor Lynne Cox (George Moody Fellow in Biochemistry) continues to make great strides; she is an expert advisor to the new all-party parliamentary working group to tackle the theme of healthy ageing. Dr Maike Bublitz (Fellow and Associate Professor of Microbial Biophysics) leads the Bublitz Lab, where she applies state-of-the-art biochemical and biophysical methods to study the biological function of membrane proteins. Last year, Dr Teresa

4 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

FROM THE PROVOST Bejan (Fellow and Associate Professor of Political Theory) gave an insightful TED talk in New York (google it) that touched on elements from her successful book, Mere Civility.

I tell students at their Freshers’ Dinner that Oriel, if they wish, will be a part of their lives forever. One student raised doubts that our College should continue to belong to alumni too. I couldn’t disagree more. Of course our focus is on current students. However, Oriel could not do the great work it does without the passion, support and involvement from our alumni base. Our community extends to every Orielensis throughout the world.

There have been highlights over the past months at occasions where I was able to meet with Orielenses in the UK and overseas.

I recently returned from a trip to Asia and I had the great pleasure in connecting (until the early hours) with alumni in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. At the end of 2018, I spent a memorable evening in Manhattan catching up with our US-based alumni at Soho House.

I would like to welcome three new additions to Oriel’s Development team: Henry Carter, who joined us in January as Head of Development, Hillary Reitman, who joined in March as Development Officer and Natalie Balchin, our new Alumni Relations and Events Officer, who will be organising fantastic events for Orielenses. They will be doing essential work in helping with our fundraising as we approach 2026.

On the point of fundraising, I am always conscious of the importance of our alumni and friends. Your generosity and support enables Oriel to continue advancing its charitable objects and strengthening the foundations for lasting success. I was heartened to hear that we had another successful telephone campaign this year, raising almost £150,000. On behalf of the whole College, I wish to thank everyone who has invested in the College, either financially or by volunteering their time and expertise.

I wish everyone a great summer.

Goldie Building, on the Rectory Road site, was recently The Doll’s House renovated for the 2018-19 academic year. From new carpets and a splash of paint everywhere to an overhaul of the bedrooms and communal kitchens, students are now enjoying more comfortable accommodation. Furthermore, the much-loved ‘Doll’s House’ (Staircase 12) has also received a face-lift, with work including a new lime rendering and redecoration of the front facade, plus roof and glazing repairs.

The College celebrated some excellent undergraduate results again in 2018, with 89.5% of students graduating with a 2:1 or higher, and some exceptional performances from individual students and subjects.

Launch of the Centre for the Study of the Bible in the Humanities

Professor Hindy Najman (centre, left) at the Launch Reception of CBH

On 17–18 October, Oriel launched the Centre for the Study of the Bible in the Humanities (CBH). This Centre integrates biblical studies in the humanities through a variety of Oxford and international collaborations. It endeavours to make the study of the Bible a vital field, in conversation with the full breadth of scholarship in the humanities: classics, philosophy, religious studies, and history. The launch was celebrated with inspiring lectures and a reception in the Senior Library, with speeches by the Provost, the Head of the Humanities Division, and the initiator and Director, Professor Hindy Najman.

Portrait of Moira Wallace by Beka Smith

Former Provost’s Portrait Former Provost Moira Wallace (Provost, 2013–2018) left Oriel at the end of August 2018.

As is tradition, the College commissioned a portrait of her to join those of other past Provosts.

The portrait, painted by Beka Smith, is on display in the Hall and was unveiled at the Provost's Summer Party on 21 July 2018.

The Development and Alumni Engagement Team – Some New Faces Sean Power, Director of Development and Alumni Engagement, is delighted to announce some new appointments in the Development and Alumni Engagement Office. Bobby Higson has been promoted to Head of Alumni Engagement and Operations, and is responsible for overseeing a team running alumni events and communications; and Rob Buckett has been promoted to Development Officer (Regular Giving and Legacies).

We have welcomed the following new faces during the past year: Henry Carter, as Head of Development, managing the fundraising team with responsibility for regular, mid-level and major gifts to Oriel; Hillary Reitman, as Development Officer (Major Gifts); and a new Alumni Relations and Events Officer, Natalie Balchin, concentrating on Oriel’s programme of alumni events. They all very much look forward to meeting you at some upcoming events.

And, finally, we say goodbye to Harvey Rudden, who has left College for the exciting opportunity of joining the Metropolitan Police.

Development and Alumni Engagement Office Team (L-R): Louisa Chandler, Bobby Higson, Rob Buckett, Sean Power, Henry Carter, Hillary Reitman, Verity Armstrong

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 5

COLLEGE NEWS

COLLEGE NEWS

Telethon call room in action

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ORIEL CALLING I

t is our great pleasure to report that Oriel’s 13th annual telephone campaign was a fantastic success, raising almost £150,000 for the College.

This year’s campaign was focused on two key project areas: our outreach programme and the student support fund. Thanks to the generous support of our alumni, we can help to ensure that Oriel is committed to encouraging applications from academically able students regardless of background and making sure students have the necessary pastoral and financial support to make the most of their time at Oxford – ensuring Oriel is a welcoming place for students of all backgrounds.

The telephone campaign is key to the College’s alumni relations programme, helping to keep you updated with the current goings-on in the College and any events we have coming up. It also allows Orielenses to give their feedback about our work and how we can help to foster an even stronger relationship with alumni in the future.

We can always rely on the warm response from Orielenses during our telephone campaigns and this year was no different, with our callers speaking 6 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

to just under 450 alumni, of whom almost half generously chose to make a gift to the College. This generosity allows our current and future students to make the most of the opportunity that an Oxford education provides. Our callers also really appreciate hearing about the experiences of alumni and your valuable advice helps to shape their career paths after finishing their degree. In a climate where graduate employment is extremely competitive, this guidance is a tremendously valuable asset for our students and for this we are very grateful.

The Development and Alumni Engagement Office would like to thank everyone who took time out of their busy evenings and weekends to speak to our call team. We know that they thoroughly enjoyed hearing stories about the College over many years, and it is great to hear that so many of our alumni still have such a strong affinity with Oriel – it really is a testament to the lifelong community that Oriel provides. We would also like to thank our hard-working student callers, who already have such a strong feeling towards the College that they wish to give something back.

JCR REPORT

It is great to hear that so many of our alumni still have such a strong affinity with Oriel – it really is a testament to the lifelong community that Oriel provides.

he Junior Common Room (JCR) is always so busy that it’s impossible to mention all of its exciting activities. During the past year, Oriel undergraduates have impressed their peers and the College in the depth and diversity of their interests and successes: some highlights follow.

Oriel Boat Club excelled at Torpids, with the Men’s 1st VIII retaining the Headship, and the Men’s 2nd VIII earning blades. The Women’s 1st VIII were bumped from their position at the top of the river but their impressive, technical rowing shows promise for blades in Summer Eights.

The College 11 (football) were knocked out of Cuppers after a 1–0 match marred by controversy: Oriel blames its defeat on one New College striker, who swung for our centre back – surprisingly, the latter was sent off. Currently, Oriel Netball is fighting simultaneous promotion and demotion, as the B team cracks the top division, while the A team clings on to its bottom rung.

In the arts, Oriel Fridays, our open mic night, has flourished. We found a drum kit hidden deep under the Island Site and since then the JCR house band has got the bar dancing. At our fortnightly ‘Arts evenings’,

We found a drum kit hidden deep under the Island Site and since then the JCR house band has got the bar dancing.

JCR members have fashioned manifold creations from recycled materials. Auditions have begun for the annual Garden Play, which this year will be Shakespeare’s As You Like It. We started Michaelmas 2018 worried about the bar. Writing in Easter of 2019, I think we can safely say that the bar has been saved. In addition to Oriel Fridays, we have introduced thrice-termly pub quizzes. Like the JCR, which has been renovated, the bar also now has new lighting, new furniture, and a fresh coat of paint. Perhaps most importantly, and after intense lobbying, drinks prices have been reduced, and a twice-weekly ‘Happy Hour’ introduced. Oriel JCR members have created three new College drinks to complement the Glennies: the ‘Oriebomb’ (simple but effective) is particularly popular.

Moving away from the bar, the JCR

Halfway Hall entertainment with Alice Bourne singing, James Hobson on bass, Josh Cottell on drums and Patrick Hegarty Morrish playing guitar.

enjoyed an exciting joint bop with Lincoln.

Halfway Hall was a fantastic success: the Second Years dressed as guests at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party to mark reaching half – or three-eighths – of the way through their degrees. Special thanks must go to the organisers of Welfare Week, Equalities Fest, the Chinese New Year Formal, Burns Night Formal, and two charity formals, the RAG Casino Night, and the week of festivities and hooliganism which marked Oxmas.

JCR meetings have remained lively as ever: this year’s Treasurer, rightly referring to his distinguished work, unanimously defeated a motion of no-confidence. Intense debate occasioned a motion suggesting that as the JCR gives money to the Second Years for Halfway Hall, should the First and Third Years not have an event too?

Thanks to the tireless work of the Environment Rep, Oriel celebrated a second consecutive victory in the Oxford Student ‘Switch-Off ’ campaign. We were particularly pleased to see the International Women’s Day flag flying for the whole month of March.

Patrick Hegarty Morrish, JCR President 2018-19 Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 7

COLLEGE NEWS

COLLEGE NEWS

Night of the Elephant in the MCR

MCR REPORT T

he Oriel College Middle Common Room (MCR) enjoys a reputation for being an exceptionally warm, welcoming, and supportive community and environment.

I am delighted to report that this muchdeserved reputation continues to reflect reality, with just over 90 graduate students and 30 fourth-year undergraduate students joining our ranks in October 2018 for what has proved to be a fantastic year.

New and old members alike have enthusiastically participated in MCR life, and our great facilities continue to be much used. These include our wonderful common room, with free tea, coffee, and biscuits (and a new comments box for any suggestions!); our well-equipped study room, with new whiteboards; and our kitchen and famous bar.

Our MCR social calendar continues to be unrivalled. The incredible Social Team, led by Social Secretaries Lucy Mellor, Jennifer Potter, and Connor Wild, with Philip Gavin and Eoin O’Sullivan as Social Representatives, put on an unmatched series of events throughout the year. From sold-out Guest Nights, Grand Formals, and exchanges with eight Oxford colleges, to movie nights, board games nights, and pamper evenings – they have catered to just about everyone. We also successfully held two exchanges with our sister colleges, Trinity College, Dublin, and Clare College, Cambridge, in Hilary Term. Philip Gavin and Jennifer Potter, respectively, are owed particular thanks for ensuring that these exchanges – our seventh

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at Trinity and second at Clare – were such great successes.

Srishti Arora and Jean-Christophe Spiliotis have done a fantastic job as Bar Managers, aided by our excellent volunteer bar staff, in ensuring that our bar remains a well-stocked centre of activity, with Nathaniel Helms joining as Bar Manager later in the year (with another hard-working stint from Philip Gavin as interim manager).

We have also been very fortunate to have Charlie Fletcher serve as Second Desserts Representative this year, ensuring that we have never lacked in wonderful cheeses and desserts after Sunday Formal Hall. The much-loved coffee machine and MCR itself owe their smooth running in large part to the incredibly hard work of the MCR Managers Lola Salem and Connor Thompson.

The Welfare Team, comprising Welfare Secretaries Farah Jawitz and Chase Harrison, with Catherine Fleischer and Lauren Cullen as Welfare Representatives, have done a tremendous job. They have run our highly popular Wednesday Afternoon Teas, instituted Monday morning jogs with breakfast, arranged themed welfare teas (such as for LGBTQ month), and run our free weekly yoga sessions. We have also benefitted greatly from the hard work of Julia Montgommery, our International Student Representative, who has arranged a myriad of events for our diverse community, including for Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, Diwali, and Nowruz. Another blessing has

come in the form of Mihnea Dumitrascu, our inaugural MCR Photographer, who has taken many stunning photos of our events – including the one accompanying this entry!

Now in its fourth year, Oriel Talks continues to provide a beloved venue for talks from SCR and MCR members, followed by dinner where the conversation always continues. I am very grateful to all those who have spoken this year, and I am especially grateful to Matthew Collier and Carlos Daghan Akkar for their great work as Oriel Talks Coordinators. Many thanks are also owed to Angelica De Vido, our Equalities and Diversity Officer, for her hard work and for co-organising an International Women’s Day event with talks from female members of staff at Oriel accompanied by afternoon tea in the MCR. I am also grateful to Nathaniel Helms, for his work as LGBTQ Representative and his organising of an event for LGBTQ month celebrating some LGBTQ figures from Oriel’s history.

The MCR continues to be active in sport across the University. This includes excellent MCR representation in the Boat Club, in addition to, among other sports, water polo (with two MCR members on the Oxford University Water Polo Club Blues Team this year) and the modern pentathlon. On the nautical theme, this year MCR members will again benefit from free access to punts as part of the hugely-popular MCR Punting Scheme.

Our Environmental Representative, Charles Tebbutt, has worked hard on the environmental concerns of energy use and sustainability. With Ebony Moody (JCR), Charles led Oriel on a successful campaign to win the Oxford Student ‘Switch-Off’ campaign for the second year in a row (also making us the only college to win the campaign three times). I am delighted that Oriel continues to lead in our collective move towards a greener Oxford.

I cannot thank the Committee enough for their exceptionally hard work, time, and effort; they have been outstanding.

In particular, I would like to thank VicePresident Jung Kian Ng, Treasurer Alexander Pateman, Philip Gavin, Jenny Potter, Nathaniel Helms, and especially Lucy Mellor.

With a community as wonderful as this, I have no doubt that the next President and their Committee will triumphantly lead us into another remarkable year, and that the Oriel MCR will continue to be the best in Oxford.

Farbod Akhlaghi-Ghaffarokh, MCR President 2018-19

How long have you worked at Oriel?

I started working for Oriel in January 2018.

We moved to Oxfordshire at the same time and bought our first home so it was a very busy month.

What was your first impression of Oriel?

The people. At my first interview I got to meet and talk to several members of various departments, who really put me at ease and welcomed me. My first impression of the Library was ‘rabbit warren’!

What does a normal day look like for you?

I don’t think I have a normal day. I can be doing anything from re-shelving books to representing the College Librarians on discussions about new Library software and developments with the Bodleian. I try to eat in the SCR most days so that I can catch up with our academics – a lot of work can get done over lunch. Some days I’m barely in the Library – I can be book shopping at Blackwell’s, visiting the bindery, or talking circulation settings at the Bodleian’s offices in Osney. Other days I’m glued to my desk – signing invoices, cataloguing books in the system, putting together projects, and letting students back in who have left their Bod cards at their desks!

What is your favourite part of being the Librarian?

I think the variety is a big part of it. Being able to be in a career that allows me to constantly learn and grow is another. Mostly it’s about being able to make a difference in how someone’s education or research turns out. The work I’m doing will hopefully continue to benefit Oriel and its students for a very long time. The collections will be here long after I am.

INSIDE STORY An interview with Hannah Robertson, our new Librarian

What is the most challenging aspect of your role?

Knowledge. My predecessor had been here for a very long time and my team is all new so we’ve lost a lot of personal knowledge about the collections. I learn something new with every enquiry and day I spend here though, and I don’t think you could ever know everything about our amazing material.

What has been your greatest professional triumph?

I think seeing my name in the acknowledgements section of the British Museum ‘Indigenous Australia’ 2015 exhibition catalogue was a real high point.

It was wonderful to have the Library acknowledged and I really enjoyed helping out with the research for such a groundbreaking exhibition.

Apart from family, who or what inspires you?

At this stage in my life, I’m inspired most by women who are balancing careers and motherhood. Pretty much anyone who works in the NHS is a superstar in my eyes; and people like Matt Haig, who are brave enough to talk openly about their mental health.

Do you have any unusual hobbies?

Is it too predictable to say reading? I collect modern, signed first edition fiction. I’m also passionate about trying to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle and supporting small independent local businesses, especially when it comes to my son’s toys and clothing. We try very hard to be as plastic-free as possible.

Do you do any voluntary work or work in the community?

Apart from reading at my son’s nursery occasionally, I struggle to find time at the moment. Previously, I’ve volunteered at my local Oxfam bookshop and helped read with school children. I’m lucky that a new community centre has opened up near us and I’m hoping to get involved as soon as I can.

What one luxury would you take on a desert island?

A book about survival techniques?! In all seriousness, though, probably a decent bed.

Having a toddler means I have a new found appreciation for how much you can get done after a good night’s sleep.

What is the one piece of ‘life’ advice you would offer to a student?

That asking for help doesn’t mean losing control and that being independent doesn’t mean being alone. You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to help if you talk to them.

Who would you invite to Formal Hall (dead or alive)?

My husband. Being working parents means that we don’t often get time to ourselves anymore so any opportunity to eat hot food, uninterrupted, without sharing with a small person is grabbed with both hands.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 9

FELLOWS' NEWS

FELLOWS' NEWS

iracosma - stock.adobe.com

Aarti Jagannath is a BBSRC David Phillips Fellow at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience and a lecturer at Oriel. Aarti read for a DPhil on the mechanisms of RNA interference at Brasenose and subsequently joined the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences as a Roche Postdoctoral Fellow in 2010, to begin work on the circadian clock. She was awarded the L’Oréal Women in Science Fellowship in 2015. To find out more about Aarti’s work, visit ‘The Sun: Living With Our Star’ at the Science Museum, London. https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/the-sun-living-with-our-star

FELLOWS' NEWS Oriel lecturer publishes new book

SCR spotlight – Dr Aarti Jagannath

HOW THE BODY CLOCK IS SET TO TIME L

ife as we know it has evolved under a 24-hour cycle set by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. As a result, the environment during the day is, well, as different as can be from night! Temperature, light levels, and consequently everything downstream of these factors, such as the availability of food and the chance of encountering a predator, fluctuate with a daily predictable rhythm. As a consequence, most organisms have evolved internal timekeeping mechanisms known as circadian clocks that anticipate these regular environmental changes and establish 24hour rhythms in physiology and behaviour.

An obvious rhythm is the sleep–wake cycle, but most aspects of our physiology, including body temperature and sensitivity to insulin, are rhythmic. The circadian clock in mammals is molecular, that is, encoded within our genes, and is found in nearly all cells of the body. This clock is a master regulator of gene function and, rather like the conductor of an orchestra, sets the tempo and maintains synchrony across the organs within the body, both with respect to one another and the outside world.

My research interest is in how internal circadian time is coordinated with the external world. While we know a great deal about the machinery that makes up the molecular circadian clock, we understand very little about the processes that set it to the right time. A circadian clock must be sensitive to time cues in the environment, in order to ensure it reports the right time.

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Light, which signals the dawn–dusk cycle, is probably the most important time cue for the clock. The Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at Oxford is responsible for some seminal research in this area, including the identification of a specialised photoreceptor in the retina that communicates light information relevant to circadian rhythms to the brain. Within this Institute, my group works on understanding how light information is communicated to, and interpreted by, the molecular clock. We work on signalling systems that communicate input signals to clock genes, the genes that decide how the clock responds to this information, and, finally, the mechanisms that allow the clock to time physiology, such as sleep.

This work is of particular relevance today, as sleep and circadian rhythm disruption (SCRD) is inevitable in today’s 24/7 society, and this is compounded by the near constant exposure to artificial light. Whilst our photoreceptor system has evolved to use sunlight to tell time, artificial light, particularly blue enriched light, can also activate the same systems. Scientific studies support limiting blue wavelength emissions from electronic devices, such as computer and tablet screens, particularly after dark.

Conversely, being in a dimly lit indoor environment all day limits our exposure to bright sunlight, which the clock relies on for a strong ‘time-giver’ or ‘zeitgeber’. Together, these factors could weaken the circadian system and predispose one to SCRD. Studies with shift workers show SCRD can lead

to diabetes, obesity, depression, and even cancer. SCRD is a debilitating feature in nearly all psychiatric illness. My group’s research, and indeed the work conducted by several groups across the world, provides insight into how the clock is regulated, and identifies new routes by which these chronic conditions may be treated, or even prevented.

The outputs from such research can have a direct and measurable impact on wellbeing in society: tailoring school start times to suit the typically ‘late’ circadian profiles of teenagers has been shown to markedly improve GCSE achievement. Our own work at the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute on light input pathways is currently being translated into clinical application through a spin-out company, Circadian Therapeutics. We have identified new molecular pathways by which light can ‘shift the hands of the clock’ and Circadian Therapeutics is developing drugs that can act on these pathways. These drugs would have application in a whole spectrum of disorders associated with circadian rhythm disruption.

Congratulations to Dr Elsje van Bergen, a former Psychology Junior Research Fellow (2012–2015) and current SCR member at Oriel, and her husband, Yves, who welcomed their second son Benjamin on 23 April 2018. Their first son, Gabriel, was born on 19 May 2016.

Congratulations to Fellow and Tutor in American Literature, Dr Nicholas Gaskill, on the publication of his new book, Chromographia.

The only study of modern colour in US literature, Chromographia looks at the ways that US writers imagined the experience of colour between 1880 and 1930. This was the period when bright synthetic dyes, derived from the refuse of industrialisation, created a vibrant new palette that transformed the look of the built environment, and when experimental psychologists, based on their studies of colour perception, put forth new theories about how colours affect us – and, indeed, about what colour really is.

It was also a time when ethnographic studies of the comparative sensitivity to colour across cultures suggested that how people saw and responded to colours revealed how ‘primitive’ or ‘civilised’ they were.

With these backdrops in mind, Dr Gaskill’s book reads a diverse array of writers – from Stephen Crane and Charlotte Perkins Gilman to L. Frank Baum and Nella Larsen – in light of all the many things that bright colour came to stand for at the turn of the 20th century: commodity culture, racialised sensation, avant-gardism, the perceptual lives of small children, pragmatist notions of experience, and much else besides.

Chromographia argues that the writers, psychologists, and designers who made colour their primary concern developed new conceptions of mind and body, language and world, and experience and reality, all of which, when embraced by writers, changed the way literature in the US was written.

Dr Teresa Bejan in TED Talks: is civility a sham?

Oriel prayers The Chaplain and his team pray for individuals and the community daily. They are always happy to receive the names of alumni who are sick or have sadly died, to be remembered in the Chapel’s prayers. Please email the Chaplain, chaplain@oriel.ox.ac. uk, if you would like to be included in the prayers, or know of an Orielensis who should be remembered in the prayers.

Dr Teresa Bejan, an Associate Professor of Political Theory and Tutorial Fellow in Politics, gave a TED talk in New York in October 2018 on the topic ‘Is Civility a Sham?’ – it has received 1.4 million views since its release. In her insightful talk, which was presented at a TED Salon event given in partnership with Brightline Initiative, Dr Bejan explored the concept of civility and explained how it has been used as both the foundation of tolerant societies and as a way for political partisans to silence and dismiss opposing views. She proposes that we should instead try for ‘mere civility’: the virtue of being able to disagree fundamentally with others without destroying the possibility of a common life tomorrow.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 11

LIFE OF JEREMY CATTO

LIFE OF JEREMY CATTO

Catto’s attitude to his students was less that of a schoolmaster and more of a benevolent uncle. He would set them at ease with a glass of pink gin, forbear their pretensions to genius and gently nudge them towards more nuanced views.

THE LIFE OF

JEREMY CATTO In August 2018, Oriel lost Jeremy Catto. A Fellow of the College for almost 50 years, Jeremy was woven into the fabric of Oriel life during his time as a Tutorial Fellow at the College and for many Orielenses became the embodiment of Oriel and Oxford as a whole. The following obituary appeared in The Times on 19 September 2018.

J

eremy Catto’s favourite students knew who they were. While he would refer to many of his undergraduates at Oriel College as ‘great men’, and to a fair few as ‘great men on toast’ — the College did not start admitting women until 1985 — you had to be someone truly special to earn his highest appellation: ‘deep fried great man on toast’. The deep fried were students whose careers Catto intended to keep a close eye on, whom he could see were destined to become great diplomats, politicians, academics, or otherwise.

12 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

Among those who earned this distinction are Niall Ferguson, the historian; William Hague and Alan Duncan, the Tory politicians; and Radek Sikorski, the Polish politician.

Catto was not a man to limit his horizons to the dreaming spires. Although a consummate historian of the English Church, he would have found it dreary to pass his days between the Library and his study, steadily lengthening his list of publications.

He liked to have a view on to the wider world and into the corridors of power, and that is what his former students gave him.

He continued to lend his advice to them even when they sat on the front bench, not because he was a Machiavel, and not merely because he was a gossip, but because he thought the friendly bond between tutor and student should not end at graduation.

As a Fellow of Oriel College he saw it as his job to be a mainstay of its community, and a mentor to students past and present.

In this sense, he was something of an anachronism. With such pressure placed on them to publish a great deal, tutors these days rarely have the opportunity to embrace College life as holistically as he did.

Another advantage of remaining in touch with so many former students was that it afforded him many opportunities to travel. Of Sir David Manning, the former British ambassador to the United States, Catto said: ‘I’ve stayed in every embassy he’s ever been posted to. I like it when my pupils run the world.’

Robert Jeremy Adam Inch Catto was born in 1939, to Archibald and Grace, in Newcastle. He had two sisters, Annabel and Jane. The family was well off. His father was a businessman who had run a rubber plantation in Malaya, and his uncle, Thomas, became the Governor of the Bank of England in 1944. His mother was, for a brief time, a teacher. Catto excelled in his studies at the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle and went from there to read Modern History at Balliol College, Oxford.

He dipped his toes in Balliol’s left-wing radicalism, but went no farther. A single freezing CND march was enough to put Catto off the cause and by the time he finished his degree he regarded his fellow Balliolite’s utopian dreams with amused scepticism. He had come to believe that ideology was a foggy lens through which to see human relations, at best a heuristic and at worst a dangerous delusion. He greatly enjoyed poking fun at his left-wing colleagues’ faith in their political schema and once attended a protest bearing a banner that called for the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy.

After Balliol he took up a lectureship in history at Durham, during which time a chance encounter with Bryan Ferry in Newcastle sparked a lifelong friendship. The two of them took holidays together to Italy and France, where Catto taught Ferry to swim and drive. In later life Ferry would be Catto’s way into social circles more glamorous than those of the typical Oxford fellow.

Catto returned to Oxford in 1969 to take up a fellowship at Oriel, where Hugh Trevor-Roper, the historian, was glad to have a conservative ally with whom to battle the resident Marxists. Although both were implacably opposed to communism, they shared a fascination with the Soviet bloc.

Catto had travelled to Czechoslovakia the previous August, in time to be greeted by the Soviet crackdown. He later stayed with

Manning in the British embassies in Moscow and Warsaw to get a sense of the texture of communist life.

Catto’s attitude to his students was less that of a schoolmaster and more of a benevolent uncle. He would set them at ease with a glass of pink gin, forbear their pretensions to genius and gently nudge them towards more nuanced views. He spoke to them in a kind of Wodehousian slang, calling them ‘wicked old thing’, or ‘angelfluff’. If they made him laugh, he’d say ‘that was a giglet’, or ‘shriekino’. Hague once asked him: ‘Jeremy, can I be a wicked old fluff and a rough tough fluff at the same time?’ Catto replied: ‘My dear boy, how could you be anything else?’

He believed his job was to prepare his students not for exams but for life. Whereas some of his colleagues barely bothered

to disguise their scorn for extracurricular activities, he encouraged his students to lead multi-faceted lives and spared them tutorials when they had boat races to win, magazines to publish, or causes to campaign for. As for the value of study, he believed nobody put it better than Harold Macmillan when he said: ‘All Oxford need teach you is to know when someone is talking rot.’

None of which is to say that he would go easy on slackers. Marcus Walker, a former student, remembers one tutorial for which he had not prepared, in which Catto addressed questions to him via his tutorial partner, to let him know he had been excommunicated.

Fond of making his students feel part of his club, he also liked to involve himself in their societies. He served for 30 years as the Senior Librarian of the Oxford Union, the debating society to which Oxford’s aspiring Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 13

LIFE OF JEREMY CATTO

MECHANICAL SYMPATHY

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Orielensis, Fabrice Braunrot, and former student of Jeremy Catto (1981, History) was recently asked to give a TEDx talk on the topic of ‘mechanical sympathy’.

You can watch this talk online – do google it. Here, Fabrice gives an overview of his talk on how one can make the most of one’s personal health portfolio.

MECHANICAL SYMPATHY: A Guiding Principle to Allow us to Perform Well and Last to Our Design Potential

M parliamentarians flock. He also oversaw the Canning Club, where students gathered to read out their musings on conservative philosophy. His role was to smile genially, pour the claret, and not let on if they were talking rubbish.

Students would often find his own brand of conservatism hard to pin down. While sympathetic to Margaret Thatcher, he denied being a Thatcherite and if ever somebody tried to parrot his views he would immediately deny having believed anything of the kind.

Yet he was not just a contrarian. There were certain causes he stuck to firmly, that of the Bosnian Muslims, for instance, whose plight he said merited military intervention. In the aftermath of the Monica Lewinsky scandal he also campaigned to prevent Bill Clinton becoming chancellor of the University.

It became less common throughout his tenure for Fellows to live in College, yet Catto saw his residence in Oriel as an essential part of his role in its community.

Becoming the College Dean formalised the pastoral role he had been playing all along; he took special care to look after students from less well-to-do backgrounds, who struggled to fit into the privileged atmosphere.

Although residence in College blurred his professional life with his private, there was 14 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

Hague once asked him: ‘Jeremy, can I be a wicked old fluff and a rough tough fluff at the same time?’ Catto replied: ‘My dear boy, how could you be anything else?’ one aspect of himself he refused to let his students see. He had met his partner, John Wolfe, in 1961. They were introduced by a mutual friend, who wrote to both to say how much they would like one another. They met outside the American Express offices in London — Wolfe, who had just arrived from the US, did not know anywhere else in town. They remained together for the next 57 years, although Wolfe, who worked in IT, lived in Northamptonshire and hardly ever visited Oriel. It was not that Catto was scared people would disapprove of his sexuality, he just thought it was nobody else’s business. He and Wolfe entered into a civil partnership last year.

Catto retired from Oriel in 2006 to live with Wolfe in the village of Eydon,

Northamptonshire, where he had lived since 1973 and continued to be an active parishioner of the Catholic church at Astonle-Walls. He had been a Catholic since the age of 17, yet the faith became much more important to him in his final decade.

Remaining avidly clubbable, he joined the board of the local cricket team, even though he had never played the game in his life.

Oxford remained central to Catto. He published a history of his College in 2013, and would still visit the city two or three times a week to socialise and indulge in a little machination. He had a long history of appointing the nominally elected Senior Librarian of the Oxford Union and in 2013, Catto sidled up to his friend Sean Power to tell him he would take the role. ‘But I’ve never even been to the Union,’ Power replied. ‘Details, my dear, details.’

Dr Jeremy Catto, historian, was born on 27 July 1939. He died from cancer on 17 August 2018, aged 79.

echanical sympathy is demonstrated when we use a manufactured object in the way that it was designed to operate.

A petrol engine is designed to run on a very particular fuel and will not run on diesel.

It will cost you a lot of money in repairs should you fill up with the wrong liquid.

Our bodies and brains are the result of millions of years of evolutionary design to ensure our survival and reproduction in the environments in which we found ourselves.

Machines and bodies alike run better and last to their potential when fed their prescribed inputs. Sadly, we are far better informed and protected against input errors with respect to our machines than we are with respect to ourselves. Diesel nozzles are designed to prevent insertion into a petrol filler. No such safety mechanism exists to prevent sugar from being inserted into our mouths. Quite the opposite.

Facts and details made up a lot of the Modern History course when I was an undergraduate at Oriel in the early 1980s. 35 years later I will confess to not remembering many of them at all. What did stick were some general principles that have been extremely useful in my subsequent life and work, particularly when meshed with the concept of mechanical sympathy. Stamped into my brain was that different people (historians in this case) can look at the same hard facts and reach very different conclusions.

Understanding agendas and biases is crucial to forming a clear opinion, as is reading the source material for yourself. Drs Catto and

Beddard trained my peers and me to question and test the differing perspectives and to dig into the sources to form a convincing thesis of our own. The Oxford tutorial and essay process turned out to be a perfect training ground for the next 35 years of my career in finance, where I was presented with mountains of contradictory opinions and had to make a convincing case to clients as to how to invest and plan.

In my late 20s I began to take an interest in optimising my physical and mental wellbeing. Losing the resilience of youth and the arrival of children can (and should) do that to you! In the early days of my wellness journey, I took perceived wisdom at face value. I embraced popular exercise and dietary trends. I became a vegetarian and even went vegan for a year. I ran, did yoga and boot camp workouts. The results were not remarkable and there were many downsides.

I had failed to apply my Oxford training and mechanical sympathy in this arena. I had not examined the biases, dogmas, and commercial conflicts of the advocates of the popular trends. I did not do enough original source material research to guide my decisions. I needed to better understand the factual mechanics of human metabolism, exercise physiology, and how our brains are wired. I needed to apply that knowledge to myself in a sympathetic way. I needed to hold the methods to high standards of empirical outcomes.

We live at a time when there is a Bodleian’s worth of information, and more,

in our palms and on our desktops. The attendant problem is that the information is un-curated and is often dangerously wrong, despite the presentation looking ‘scientific’ and the writer being ‘credentialed’. A chance meeting with an exhaustingly rigorous thinker and questioner, Dr Peter Attia, steered me to dive deeper into the facts and to question many cherished assumptions.

The work I did led me to change my habits. For example: it led me to drop sugar and most processed carbohydrates from my diet; it led me to drop cardio-based exercise like running in favour of slowspeed weight training to complete muscular failure (once a week for 20 mins); I decided to do a guided meditation every morning; and I chose to cut out all blue light sources after the sun goes down, wearing blue light blocking glasses if necessary, to name but a few changes. My proof statement is that my blood analysis, physical performance, sleep quality, weight, and mental equanimity all dramatically improved. I also got 11 hours added back to my week. Hence my willingness to recommend a similar approach to others. That said, I am ready to be proven wrong in any or all of the practices which I currently follow if the alternative passes the mechanical sympathy test as seen through an Oxford historian’s critical lens.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 15

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

Current student, Katie Culverwell (2018, Music), kayaked the continent, which was a world first challenge, just before she came up to Oriel.

Oriel has always been proud to offer a well-rounded education, with a good balance of work and play. With so many extra-curricular opportunities on offer, it is no wonder that we have such sporty students and alumni, some of whom tell their stories here.

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What sports do you do at Oriel?

I stroked in the Oriel Women’s 1st VIII this term at Torpids and will continue rowing through my time at Oxford.

16 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

Tell us about the ‘Kayaking the Continent’ challenge you undertook?

On 21 April 2018, my friend Anna and I set off outside the Houses of Parliament to start our five-month tandem kayaking expedition to the Black Sea. During the year I spent planning this world first challenge, I found a teammate online, raised £15,000 in sponsorship, and trained hard to get a good foundation in kayaking. Our main aim through this challenge was to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer Action and by the time we left we had already raised £30,000 to help make a difference to the cancer that has the worst survival rate. The money we raised during the trip was in memory of my dad who passed away in 2015 to pancreatic cancer; he had also been a keen rower and canoeist.

Our journey started down the Thames, round the Kent coast, before we kayaked the English Channel and landed in France. From there, we

made our way through the industrial canals of France and Belgium until we reached the River Rhine in Strasbourg.

We flowed down the Rhine until Mainz, Germany where we went up the Main River, connecting us to the Danube via the Main-Donau Canal. We then followed the Danube for 2,400km to the Black Sea. We camped during ferocious storms, and contended with 200-metre-long industrial barges, 25-metre-deep locks, and whirlpools and rapids. Yet our friendship and determination kept us going through the 4,000 km journey and the kind strangers we met along the way made for a truly exceptional journey. We have raised £57,000 so far for charity (http://virginmoneygiving.com/ kayakingthecontinent) and collected 80 water samples for FreshWater Watch, to examine the effects of urbanisation on fresh water, while also achieving a world first. Since then, we have also participated in Parliamentary events and meetings about the progress being made in fighting pancreatic cancer, and we continue to raise money and awareness for this disease.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 17

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

Alumnus George Stannard (2014, Medicine) swam 22 miles across the English Channel last year after he collected three Full Blues whilst he was a medical student at Oriel.

What training did you do for it?

Anna and I spent a lot of time on strength and conditioning in the gym, as well as spending plenty of time around the Oxford canals, practising our kayaking skills in racing kayaks. Fortunately, we only live a few miles apart so training together wasn’t an issue. We also spent a lot of time kayaking round the coast of the Isle of Wight to prepare ourselves for the tricky conditions around Kent and the Channel. However, some of the situations we found ourselves in we just couldn’t prepare for – but we managed to work together and stay calm and practical each time, to overcome the many problems we came across!

What were the highlights of the challenge?

People were by far the biggest highlight. The number of generous strangers we met was incredible, from making donations right there and then, to repairing our kayak for free, or just letting us take a shower – we were never short of generous offers. Our encounters with people often made the best stories and showed that being two young women travelling in an unusual and vulnerable way doesn’t put you at a disadvantage, and you 18 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

was no clear place to land, and smashing into those walls did not seem a great prospect.

Fortunately, we managed to get to a slip way, and did a sudden last minute turn onto a calmer bit of wall so we could leap out onto dry land. We came out quite shaky!

shouldn’t fear taking the potential risk. The other highlight regarding people was finding a teammate who I got on with exceptionally well: I’m still not quite sure how we didn’t have any arguments during those challenging five months, and we haven’t done since!

We are still best mates and are constantly planning our next adventure.

What was the hardest part of the challenge?

A lot of practical things, like equipment breaking, caused many challenges. However, for me, the psychological challenge of kayaking in hard conditions was one of the most difficult parts. I found the most challenging bit was being caught in some very strong winds on a very, very wide bit of the Danube, which felt like being on a stormy sea. We approached a town where we knew we could book a hostel. However, the town had concrete sea walls which caused all the waves to rebound, so we were getting caught in all directions by swirling waves that could potentially flip us. At one point our kayak did get lifted up in the air, and we were concerned that our non-professional repairs on our boat wouldn’t hold. On top of that, there

What did you learn from undertaking this challenge?

I learnt a huge range of things, from being able to ask big companies for sponsorship, planning a huge route, and simply pushing forward each day. But, ultimately, the biggest thing I took away is that if you really want something, however big it may seem, you will find a way to do it. A lot of my friends and family thought it wouldn’t work and that it was just my mad idea that I would eventually forget about, but I knew it was something I had to do and needed to do. It took a ridiculous amount of work for it to pay off and caused many sleepless nights, with the pressure of achieving something that had so much investment from people.

It did take courage not to listen to those who said I wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but it was truly one of the most amazing and unforgettable experiences I will ever have. I would recommend anyone to set themselves a challenge, even if small, but just to put yourself in that situation where you are able to prove to others and yourself what you can do.

What will be your next challenge?

I am planning a month in August where I will only be using man power to get around; part of that will be cycling Land’s End to John O’Groats with another women’s rower from Oriel. While at Oxford, I don’t think I’ll do anything as big or long as kayaking, but I do have my eyes set on completing a sort of world triathlon after: kayak Europe, cycle the Silk Route and across North America before sailing or rowing the Atlantic… but we’ll see.

Wetsuits aren't allowed, and you can't touch the boat at all during the swim (but can be thrown drinks and snacks every so often).

What do you do now?

These days I'm studying at New College, in my fifth year (Medicine). It's a tough year, with exams every eight weeks, but I'm off to Sri Lanka in two weeks for a Paediatrics placement so that's something to look forward to!

What training did you do for it?

In terms of training, I did a few big sea swims (six to seven hours each time) in Bournemouth in the months preceding the swim, and tried to train for three or four hours a week in the pool too. I also put on a fair bit of weight to help insulate me during the swim!

Tell us about swimming the Channel?

Swimming the English Channel involves crossing the 22 miles between Dover and Calais, but often the distance can be much greater due to tidal shifts. It can take anywhere between seven and 27 hours (it took me 10 hours and 55 minutes, as I was fairly lucky with the conditions).

You swim alongside a guide-boat with GPS and a pilot and crew (my crew was my sister, parents, and a couple of friends).

What motivated you to do it? Who inspires you?

I was inspired to take on the challenge by my friend Naomi, who completed the crossing herself in 2017. She swam in aid of Reverse Rett, a research charity working to speed up treatments and a cure for Rett Syndrome, a rare neurological condition which affects her sister Nadya. I swam in aid of Reverse Rett, as well as a couple of other charities that I wanted to support: MSF and SOFEA. MSF works to provide vital medical aid in areas that need it, and SOFEA is a local charity that works with disadvantaged youth in Oxfordshire.

What were the best aspects of the challenge?

The highlights of the challenge included swimming into the most beautiful sunrise as I started the swim in Folkestone, stumbling onto the beach in France and realising I was still alive, and devouring a massive burger upon returning to the UK (after dreaming of one for 11 hours). I also loved reading all of the wonderful messages of support I received before, during and after the swim, and seeing that we'd raised over £5,800 for the charities.

What were the hardest aspects of the challenge?

The hardest part of the challenge was definitely the middle two or three hours, when the tide shifted. This essentially negated any progress I made, and so it felt like I was going nowhere. However, I'd anticipated a period like this, so it was just a matter of persevering and pushing through.

The jellyfish stings were also unpleasant to start with, but after a few hours I got used to the feeling and sort of forgot about them.

What will be your next challenge?

In terms of future challenges, I've thought about attempting the Oceans Seven (seven marathon swims across the world, including the Cook Strait, Gibraltar Strait, and North Channel), but I currently don't quite have the time (or money!) to seriously consider it. So for the next few years at least, my next challenge will just be to finish med school!

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What motivated you to do it? Who inspires you?

I was surrounded by a great bunch of young women at school who were inspiring athletes and went on to achieve rowing scholarships and represent Great Britain. During our intense school rowing programme, we were all pushed to our limits and formed a lifetime bond as team mates. It’s something I feel fortunate to have been part of and I think it’s important to show other young women the benefits of sport. I was inspired by organisations such as This Girl Can and wanted to be part of showing that women can push sporting boundaries.

What was your time at Oriel like and did you participate in any sports teams whilst here?

I really enjoyed my time at Oriel (2014– 2017). I met lots of inspiring people, made some wonderful friends, and got involved with things I'd never have considered doing before.

I swam for the University swim team during my time at Oriel, competing at Varsity each year and earning three Full Blues, and in 2016 I swam the first leg of the biennial Oxford-Cambridge Cross-Channel Relay.

In terms of College sports, I had a go at netball and volleyball for Cuppers competitions, which were a lot of fun. I also once tried to row in one of the 'Beer Boats' for Summer Eights – unfortunately I wasn't allowed to do so because I didn't manage to get to a swim test in time…

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 19

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

Howard Ducharme (1980, DPhil Philosophy) has completed the worldfamous Triple Bypass Challenge six times and would like to do it again when he is 70 years old in 2020!

What was your time at Oriel like and did you participate in any sports teams whilst here?

My family’s time at Oriel – from the fall of 1980 to spring 1984 – still rates as the best four-year time period of our lives, so far.

We were a young family of four. Karen and I, with our two children, Dustin and David, who were two years and two months old when we arrived. Settling in was filled with inspiring surprises. Within days of arrival, a complete stranger knocked on our door, offering us a large English pram and push chair for the boys (we did not know what a pram was; we had no car, and our bikes were still in transit). This new friend, we eventually learned, was the wife of an Oxford physics professor, with whom I would eventually bike, each weekday morning, from North Oxford to College. The morning rush hour of bikes bumping in the cobblestone gutters and the flood of cars just inches off the handlebars was a daily exercise of faith.

Most weekdays and Saturday mornings were spent in the Senior Library, coffee breaks at the MCR, and a sandwich at the Covered Market. There were many lectures to attend – by R. M. Hare, Derek Parfit, J. L. Mackie, Rom Harré, Richard Swinburne, John Macquarrie, and numerous others.

We lived in Summertown House – international, graduate, married, student housing – where we made friends with young families from around the world. The boys did preschool there and developed perfect ‘Oxfeurd’ English diction. However, my first job was at the University of Tennessee.

The boys figured that we had moved from 20 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

‘Oxfeurd’ to ‘Oxville’ and within a few weeks of enculturation at school they morphed their English into an East Tennessee American twang.

During my time at Oxford, Oriel was still all-male – and it also allowed walking on dining hall tables. One day, when Dustin was about three years old, I took him to lunch in College for a bit of Oriel College education.

His jaw dropped when he saw the boys do the table walk.

My study time needed to be organised, together with family time, and an eye on some very limited finances – enough, perhaps, for a three- or four-year stay.

During our first few years there, I also maintained a regular weightlifting schedule, biking to the Iffley Road Sports Complex.

One year I was asked to be part of a threeman Oxford University team, a ‘Half Blue,’ to compete in the UK universities and colleges weightlifting competition. Our team took second or third place overall; my bench press was good enough for first in my weight class, but came only second overall to the super-heavyweight winner. He was the largest Brit that I saw in my four years in England. I am still a bit bummed by that outcome – just kidding.

What do you do now?

I have been a philosophy professor for about 35 years now, the last 33 years at the University of Akron. My area of specialisation is philosophy of mind – on the intersection and unity of personal and moral identity. My main project continues to be a modern defence of moral knowledge, in the Oriel College line of Joseph Butler (on the human universal moral conscience), W.D. Ross (on the right and the good), and akrasia – an empirical defence of personalism, i.e. knowledge of persons as self-conscious moral agents, the basic moral facts of life.

What is the Triple Bypass Challenge?

The Triple Bypass Challenge (TBP) is a gorgeous, one day, 120-mile (193 km), threemountain Colorado cycle event in mid-July. It has been held for the past 30 years, with one exception: two years ago, it was cancelled at the last minute due to uncontrolled forest fires that crossed the route at various places.

The endurance distance, the thin-air elevation climbing (the three mountains are 10,000–12,000 feet/ 3,048–3,650 metre in elevation), and the unpredictable weather, are the triple challenges for me. About 3,000 riders from all over the US, and some from

stomach summersaults. Medics easily picked me out near the bottom of that mountain and sent me to the warming tent. I was told that if the shaking did not stop in 15 minutes, I would need to abandon the ride.

There were still 50 miles to go and the third mountain to climb. Huddled around a space heater next to Robert, with silver foil blankets on and wet jerseys off, my shaking slowed down. As the medic began to walk over to us, Robert said, ‘This is no way to end this ride. Let’s go.’ So, we found our bikes and took off again. We both finished.

abroad, do this event each year. Last year was the sixth time for me. Living in Ohio, near sea level with no mountains to climb, adds to my training problems.

What motivated you to do it? Who inspires you?

I think what motivated me to attempt this was that it just seemed impossible for me – a 100% amateur, average, getting old, having a non-endurance biological make-up.

Who inspires me? There is usually – but not always – one special person I meet along the ride who inspires me. They arrive pretty much on schedule, when I hit the ‘TBP wall.’

During my first TBP, the inspiration came from a British rider, Robert, who I discovered later was the oldest person doing the TBP that year: 80 years old. He must have been an ex-pro cyclist. We met in the first aid warming tent after finishing the second mountain, as both of us were suffering from hypothermia. I was blue in the face, shivering, and shaking so hard that I could not steer my bike straight. The hypothermia developed during the assent up the second mountain (12,000 feet), when pouring rain turned to freezing sleet, then to a white-out snow blizzard. The descent was worse. I was soaking wet, icy cold, and my entire body began to shake uncontrollably during the long descent. The main task was to survive – to maintain a squeeze on the brakes hard enough to stay under 40 mph (64 kph), to manage the slippery road, head winds, and gusting blasts of cross winds – while trying not to notice being on the outside edge of the S-curves. Looking over the edge caused

What training did you do for it?

I try to maintain some degree of a year-round training schedule – indoors from December to March, then an aggressive escalation of outdoor training which aims to peak by July.

Last year’s outdoor training amounted to some 4,000 miles and 200,000 feet (6,437 km and 60,960 metres) of climbing. At my age, I need some recovery time, so by May I usually do four- to five-hour rides every other day.

Also, we have been able to go to Colorado a couple of weeks before the TBP to visit our sons’ families, who live there, which helps begin acclimation to the mountain altitude, and when there I try to climb a mountain every other day.

What were the best aspects of the challenge?

The best parts of the event are making it to the top of each mountain and finishing the entire 120-mile course. Last year, Karen, other family members, and our granddaughters, met up with me at the halfway point rest stop. The 40°F temperature at the 5:30 am start had jumped above 90°F (32°C) and peaked at 110°F (43°C) a bit later, making hydration a major problem – with another five hours to the finish line for me. I was already exhausted; their cheers and presence were my inspiration to finish.

Did you learn anything in particular from undertaking this challenge?

My wife keeps telling me I need to learn not to do it, so I guess I am still in process on this question.

What will be your next challenge?

This year I will train again for the TBP 2019 and see how it goes. I would like to do it at 70 years old – which would be the TBP 2020.

It would be great to have an Oriel College team join in the experience. There is a big party at the end. Let me know.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 21

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

Leading the rest of the world in the final of the W8+ was one of the best feelings I’ve experienced in my rowing career so far.

Tell us about the World University Rowing Championships The 2018 World University Rowing Championships were held in Shanghai, China. In it, the fastest students worldwide came together to represent their country and race the rest of the world.

The Great Britain team was selected over a series of tests during the 2018 season and contained many U23 World Championship medallists, Senior GB Rowing Team athletes, and athletes on the 2020 Olympic pathway. The Championships were used as a stepping stone event for the Olympic team, for over 23 athletes to gain racing experience at the highest level.

What motivated you to take part? Who inspires you?

I have been a competitive member of the Great Britain rowing team since the age of 16 and have always been highly motivated to push towards building optimum boat speed. One of my athletic goals is to race at the Olympic Games and going to the World University Championships was an important event on the pathway of my development. I am inspired by my peers and teammates, who put their bodies and minds under extreme stress, both physically and mentally, every day.

Morgan Baynham-Williams, a current graduate student (2015, MSc Musculoskeletal Sciences), is coxing crews to victory and has Olympic aspirations.

22 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

Morgan is a MSc student in Musculoskeletal Sciences at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), and is a cox. She raced in the World University Rowing Championships in Shanghai as part of the Team GB Women's VIII and helped lead the crew to victory over Canada and the USA, who placed second and third respectively. Morgan also memorably coxed the Women's Boat to victory in the dramatic 2016 Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race.

What sports do you do at Oriel?

I was Women's Captain of Boats in 2016 and have competed in rowing as a cox during my time at Oxford University, mainly with the University Boat Club and Leander Club.

What were the highlights of the Championships?

The racing is always the best part for me. I love racing and it’s what drives me during those hard winter months. Leading the rest of the world in the final of the W8+ was one of the best feelings I’ve experienced in my rowing career so far.

What was the hardest part of participating in the Championships?

The humidity was really difficult to get used to. Without even exercising, your sweat rate (how fast and much you sweat per minute) would be through the roof and it was extremely hard to stay hydrated and manage your physical performance out in the heat.

The physiology team made this so much easier for us and we were lucky to have their support. Other countries did not have this, and the heat and humidity will have severely affected their performance.

How do you balance your training with work etc?

I've recently submitted my thesis so I am no longer studying; however, when I was studying it was all about being open and communicating clearly with my supervisors and coaches. I would train in the mornings at Leander Club, or Oxford University Women’s Boat Club in Wallingford, when I was rowing with the Blues, and then go to lab in the afternoons. I had to do a lot of work outside of the lab and my supervisors were really good at being supportive of me doing this.

What will be your next challenge?

I am training at Leander Club and competing in the GB senior team trials system that will run testing throughout the next two years with the aim of selecting the Olympic team for the 2020 Olympic Games.

What did you learn from undertaking this challenge?

To trust the training and keep focusing on the processes. If you get the process right the outcome will be desirable.

What training did you do for it?

All training throughout the years accumulates and accounts for your performances whilst racing. I trained six days per week, three times per day, at Leander Club, from September until August. The rowing programme doesn't end in the holidays, you just change training environments! Closer to the event we trained at Molesey Boat Club as a crew (W8+), before flying out to Shanghai. We spent a week in Shanghai getting used to the climate before the racing week began, giving us an advantage over other competitors.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 23

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

ORIELENSES ARE GOOD SPORTS!

Portrait of Frank Hardee by Jack Smith, www.jacksmith.art

What do you do now?

I currently work at Eton's new State Free School, Holyport College. I am the Relationship Manager between the two schools at the Holyport end, and I teach some Politics and Economics. I also run university guidance and help students apply to UK universities.

Please tell us about the Gay Games The Gay Games is colloquially known as the ‘Gay Olympics’ – with almost 10,000 athletes taking part, it is as big as the main Summer Olympic Games. Also held every four years, it is an opportunity for the LGBT+ community to get together and compete in a whole host of sporting events.

Whilst you don't have to identify as LGBT+ to take part, the vast majority of athletes do and the event is aimed at highlighting some of the challenges that still face the LGBT+ community around the world. At some levels the sport is taken very seriously – with high-level athletes competing who would not look out of place on the world stage. At other levels (my level) it is more of a social event to bring the LGBT+ community together.

The 2018 edition – the 10th in its history – was held in Paris in August 2018.

Frank Hardee (2004, PPE) is bowled over by The Gay Games, winning two medals.

24 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

What was your time at Oriel like and did you participate in any sports teams whilst here?

I loved my time at Oriel, I loved my subject (PPE) and I loved getting involved in the life of the College. I was JCR President in 2005–2006 and heavily involved in both Union and OUSU Politics. Oriel was and is a fantastic place, I remember my time there very fondly.

Whilst I love watching and following live sport, I have never been known for my sporting prowess! The extent to which I was involved in sport at Oriel was in table football (and the occasional mixed netball match) for the College. I obviously supported the College Boats at Summer Eights and Torpids.

What/who inspired you to take part?

For me, competing in the Gay Games wasn't really about the sport! It was much more a function of LGBT+ oppression that still exists in the world today. I had previously been working in Malaysia at a British International School, and although I was open about my sexuality with my Western colleagues, I was not allowed to be open with the students I taught due to the colonial-era laws and attitudes that still exist in Malaysia.

Having moved back to the UK, I wanted to make a public statement about my sexuality and act as somewhat of a role model for students who often find they can't talk about LGBT+ issues in an open way. By taking part in such a public LGBT+ event, I hoped to help others to come forward and talk about any issues that they might have.

What training did you do for it? What games did you compete in?

With that in mind, I decided to go for the easiest thing I could compete in! I used to go ten-pin bowling with my father when I was a child, and I was pretty good. Also

the Ten-Pin Bowling Competition had a 'social' bowlers category - i.e. for people without a verifiable ten-pin bowling average.

I registered for the Men’s Singles event and managed to get a couple of bowling practices in at the local Hollywood Bowling Centre in Cowley! A week before the competition, I was contacted by the organisers to say that someone had pulled out of the Doubles and Team event and that they would make an exception and allow me to compete in a Mixed Nationality Men’s Pair and Mixed Nationality Team of Four, if I wanted to. I was game, and so ended up competing in a British-German Men’s Doubles Pair and a British-German-French-Ugandan Mixed Team (two-men/two-women team).

For me, competing in the Gay Games wasn't really about the sport! It was much more a function of LGBT+ oppression that still exists in the world today.

For me, the latter was the most poignant moment of the Games as my Ugandan teammate, a female rugby player by background, faced death threats and the government crackdown on the LGBT+ organisation that she was trying to run – providing a safe haven for Gay and Lesbians in Uganda. Uganda has some of the most homophobic and oppressive legislation of any country in the world, with moves still afoot to make being gay punishable by the death sentence. It really brought home why this kind of event was so important for the LGBT+ community around the world.

What were the highlights of taking part in the Gay Games?

There were a number of things that I loved about the Games: the most obvious was winning TWO medals – one Gold and one Silver. I couldn't quite believe it, but my teammates were actually quite good (and I had a few good games as well)! The Men’s

Doubles Final, where Ekhard and I started off in Bronze medal position, only for me to get three Spares in a row to win the Gold in the final frame. Or the fact that our mixed team managed to grab a Silver medal too.

But there were other highlights, including the Opening Ceremony at the Stade Francais Rugby Stadium – Team ‘lGBt’ had over 900 athletes, the third largest delegation after the US and France.

Also, the British Government did something very special by inviting a number of athletes to the British Embassy in Paris.

We had an evening Garden Party led by the British Ambassador to France and Prime Minister Theresa May sent a message to all the LGBT+ athletes about how proud Britain was that we were competing for our country.

Finally, not strictly at the Games, but I was approached by a prominent Oxfordbased LGBT+ artist, Jack Smith who asked whether he could do a portrait of me for an LGBT+ exhibition, to which I agreed – that was a fun spin-off from the Games.

What were the hardest aspects of the event?

For me, bowling well at a tournament is all about consistency. We can all score over 120 in a game of ten-pin bowling when we muck about with our mates, but regularly getting consistent scores when the pressure is on and there are medals at stake is the hardest part.

What did you learn from taking part in this event?

It wasn't about the sport but more about the nature of the LGBT+ community. We are lucky in the UK that legislation and, by and large, social attitudes have changed to make being gay an acceptable norm; sadly, there are people in other parts of the world that don't have that luxury and anything we can do to publicly support their struggles really does help.

What will be your next challenge(s)?

In terms of bowling, not much – I hope to compete in 2022 in Hong Kong (the first time the Gay Games has gone to Asia) but that's a long way off. Work-wise, I am running a school Politics and Economics trip to Washington, DC, and New York in October, and in the summer, I aim to do some travelling around Central America. Oh, and finding a boyfriend would be good, too!

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 25

HIDDEN TREASURES

HIDDEN TREASURES

HIDDEN TREASURES THE MAGNA CARTA

What is the Magna Carta?

The first document called Magna Carta, the ‘great charter’, was drawn up in 1215 by Archbishop Stephen Langton and other rebels against King John. It was at once a peace treaty, a demand for monarchical powers to be constrained, and a statement of legal and national ideology. Although it was immediately annulled by the Pope, it was reissued in revised forms by successive kings or their representatives when they needed to bargain with committees of barons and churchmen.

Each reissue was a new original royal charter, and later issues cannot be considered copies of an ‘original’.

The correct term is ‘original engrossment’; multiple engrossments would have been made at the time of each issue and sent to the sheriffs of each county, the wardens of the Cinque Ports, the great churches, and the universities. Every issue of Magna Carta was unique, dealing with different concerns in distinctive political circumstances, and each engrossment of every issue has its own history connected with the institution that preserved it.

Oriel College’s Magna Carta

Oriel College’s Magna Carta Our Magna Carta is an ‘original engrossment’ of the final issue of Magna Carta, made by King Edward I, father of our founder, in 1300. It was issued to the University Church under the great seal. There is an early 14thcentury endorsement (writing on the back) reading ‘De libertatibus ecclesie anglicane’ (on the liberties of the English church), which indicates the importance attached to Magna Carta by the University as a guarantee of the freedom of the Church. Since all University masters and students were at this time clerics, this should be understood as meaning ‘the liberties of the University.’

No other college possesses an original engrossment or even a locally made copy. The four Magna Cartas in the Bodleian Library have no connection with the University, having been donated as part of larger external collections. This makes the Oriel College Magna Carta unique in Oxford, part of an institutional archive, in the way that the Magna Cartas at Salisbury or Lincoln Cathedrals form part of their archives.

The Magna Carta in the archives of the College The Magna Carta has been in the continuous possession of the College since its foundation by Adam de Brome

26 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

The Oriel College Magna Carta [is] unique in Oxford, part of an institutional archive, in the way that the Magna Cartas at Salisbury or Lincoln Cathedrals form part of their archives.

and Edward II, and has an unusually strong link with the institutional history of the College. At the first foundation in 1324 the College became lay rector of the University Church and received its property, which included deeds, into its own muniments (title deeds).

At a time of political uncertainty under the increasingly erratic Edward II, the College and University would have taken comfort in the charter’s promise of institutional independence.

In 1397 an unknown Fellow of the College made a catalogue of muniments (now in the British Library).

The Magna Carta is described there in Latin as ‘the Great Charter of Edward III (sic) on the liberties of the English church and many other ordinances and statutes.

28th year of King Edward. It was placed in box C and has an 8 on the back’. The archival mark C. 8 is clearly visible on the document itself, written in a 14th century hand, demonstrating that the document has been in the possession of the College from the 14th century onwards.

The other charter A companion to the Magna Carta was issued at the same time, the so-called Forest Charter. In it, the monarch set out the extent and limitations of royal rights in those areas of the country defined as ‘forest’, which means game reserve rather than having anything to do with trees. Arable land, moorland, and woodland could all be classified as forest, and the king possessed extensive economic and judicial rights in those areas, affecting the lives and legal rights of a large proportion of the population. With its more focused set of concerns, this document was thought of as having greater practical importance than the ‘great charter’ that it accompanied.

Oriel College is one of the few institutions with a matching pair of original engrossments of both charters.

The Forest Charter

An Oriel reaction to Magna Carta The final word should go to possibly the most famous of Oriel’s historians, Sellar and Yeatman, authors of 1066 and All That. Their description of the ‘Magna Charter’ ends with the summary ‘[it] was therefore the chief cause of Democracy in England, and thus a Good Thing for everyone (except the Common People)’.

Rob Petre, Archivist Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 27

WW1 CENTENARY

WW1 CENTENARY

WW1 CENTENARY In honour of the Oriel men who fell during the Great War, the College launched a book, put on an exhibition and held a Centenary event in 2018.

F

ew aspects of the Great War are more emotive than the story of the thousands who flocked to the colours from their schools and universities in the patriotic enthusiasm of 1914 only to be faced with a war whose scale, horror, and duration could barely be envisaged in its early heady days. From an undisturbed world of summer balls, reading parties, and plans for the future, Oxford was pitchforked into four years of unremitting struggle, sacrifice, and personal tragedy, as the conflict became a grim war of attrition in which almost no aspect of pre-war life remained unaffected. For those who went to war from Oxford University, death and life-changing injury would result for about one in five, affecting not only them but the lives of their families and friends, often for years to come. For some of Oxford's youngest recruits, those who matriculated in the years immediately before the war, the death toll would reach almost one in three. But, more widely, beyond the toll of death and wounds, the experience of total war would change radically many areas of politics and society, prompting reform not only in the country but also in the University, promoting the role of women's suffrage, and an often intense questioning of pre-war assumptions about politics, religion, and international affairs.

The edited correspondence of the wartime Provost of Oriel, Lancelot Ridley Phelps, A Provost's War, published by the College in 2018, powerfully represents how the war affected those involved both at home and serving in the armed forces. Oriel made one of the heaviest sacrifices of all the Oxford colleges in the Great War. By December 1914 it headed the list of colleges in the proportion of its members who had joined the forces. As a result it was inevitable that Oriel would suffer heavily: of over 730 members of the College and its staff who served in the war, 163 died and many more were wounded, some very seriously.

The correspondence of Provost Phelps demonstrates almost every aspect of the war for a man deeply committed to his contacts with undergraduates both past and present, but also seriously involved in local and national affairs.

The letters to him describe, often with little

28 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

Following the official launch of the College's new book, A Provost's War, it is now available on sale at the University Shop online: https://www.oushop.com/provosts-war

evasion, the varied experiences of war, and reflect movingly the tragic loss of young lives, and the private struggles of families and survivors as they dealt with grief and wounds to mind and body.

They also demonstrate the impact of war not only upon Oxford but also upon the country at large.

Letters to him range from fears of drunkenness in the slums of Oxford to Zeppelin raids on London, and from helping Belgian refugees to supporting votes for women and promoting adult education.

With news from a war-torn world stretching from New York to the North-West frontier in India, from the Western Front to Westminster, the letters to Provost Phelps represent a remarkable insight into the effects of the Great War in all its aspects.

On Saturday 27 October 2018, the College held an event at Iffley Meadow to honour the 163 Oriel men who fell in the Great War. The College has planted 163 new trees in their memory. The Provost welcomed the Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Richard Venables; the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Colin Cook; Leader of Oxford County Council, Ian Hudspeth; and the great, great niece of the fallen Captain Robert K. McDermott, Fiona Anderson Wheeler, to plant the final trees. There was a great turnout of Oriel staff, students, alumni, and Iffley villagers. Oriel students read out the names of the fallen and the choir sang hymns as part of the service, which was followed by a lunch.

Lord (Robert) Chalmers (Oriel, 1877), lost two sons just 18 days apart in May 1915. The story of his eldest son, Ralph, who was also an Orielensis, was told in an exhibition in the Library. With thanks to Orielensis Robin Harland (1951), godson of Lord Chalmers, who kindly allowed these family papers to be displayed and their story told.

Dr John Stevenson (former College Lecturer in History at Oriel, and former Fellow at Worcester College)

You can listen to a lecture given by Dr Stevenson on Oriel College’s involvement in WW1 at: http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/oriel-and-great-war

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 29

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

I’ve always believed that technology should invisibly augment our experience of the world, rather than being something desirable in its own right.

B

INDUSTRY FOCUS:

TECHNOLOGY

THE ART OF THE Hugo Shelley (2004, Physics and Philosophy), Founder of Iota Technology, talks to us about electronic magic and nanosatellite design 30 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

y the time I left Oxford, the digital revolution was in full swing. With Apple ushering in a new era of polished consumer technology, it sometimes felt as if the bar for breakthrough products of this kind had been set impossibly high.

In an unintentionally literal pursuit of magical technology I spent the first few years after university designing electronic illusions for some of the world’s top stage performers.

Immersing myself in the world of magic and theatre helped to define my attitude towards technology in a different way – as something that should invisibly augment our experience of the world, rather than being desirable in its own right.

I eventually moved to London to found Iota Technology, a design company focusing on the kind of quietly technical products that I had come to love through my work as a freelancer. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to take on some incredibly varied projects, from miniature robots that teach sixyear-olds the basics of formal logic, to thermal imaging cameras that provide new ways to diagnose medical conditions. I’ve narrowed the focus of the company towards wireless electronics, and more recently towards sustainability – something that’s not often associated with the technology sector and that is a constant challenge when working with materials that are often difficult to recycle.

Together with researchers at the Institute of Zoology, we are now working on a new type of satellite antenna for use in animal tracking and conservation. One of the problems faced by researchers in this field is the difficulty of collecting large amounts of data. While the last few years have seen dramatic improvements in the quantity of data that can be collected by the tags themselves, the wireless connection to the satellite is often the limiting factor.

Our new antenna helps to solve this problem by allowing constellations

of nanosatellites to take on the role traditionally occupied by larger satellites at higher orbits, providing significantly better coverage for a fraction of the cost.

To be useful for conservation, these tiny, shoebox-sized machines must be able to detect the faint signals emitted by animal tags, some of them weighing only a few grams. Compact, high-gain antennae are therefore a vital part of nanosatellite design.

Our success would open up new possibilities not just for academic research, but across a wide range of industries that could benefit from low-power sensing in remote areas.

In December of last year the design won a NASA-sponsored competition for breakthrough work in the field of biotelemetry. We have since gone on to receive support from the EU Horizon 2020 programme, allowing the team to grow and paving the way towards launching a proof

of concept. It’s an indescribably thrilling thought.

So, if I had any advice for graduates looking to get involved in such a diverse and rapidly changing field, it’s to focus on what technology means to you, and trust that this will eventually take you in the right direction.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that I was standing in the wings of a theatre in Las Vegas, nervously watching a live performance of a prototype effect and wondering what had led me to this point. If I asked myself the same question now, the answer might be the same. Whether designing theatrical dream worlds, toys to help children grasp fundamental scientific concepts, or satellites to cast new light on animal behaviour, I’ve always found myself drawn to technology that allows us to see the world in new ways.

And perhaps (paraphrasing Arthur C. Clarke) that’s what magic really is.

Artist’s impression showing a nanosatellite equipped with one of our prototype antenna modules.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 31

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

Rory Pullinger 1995, Modern Languages What’s your current role in the technology sector?

I’m a Chief Technology Officer in the utilities industry.

Where has life taken you since you left Oriel?

I had so much fun at Oriel that I didn’t take the time to think about a career. I was really sad to leave university, so I travelled to South America to think about my job prospects but returned a year later without a clue. I jumped on the ‘milk round’, accepted a job in IT and never looked back. Along the way, I also became a world corporate tennis champion!

It’s hard not to get carried away with all the hype around technology.

Industry analysts keep saying that digital new entrants will disrupt the market and eat your lunch. But in the utilities industry alone, 10 energy suppliers have gone bust in the last year and profit margins are precariously low.

What do you most enjoy about working in the technology sector?

Technology improves the way we live and work.

Thanks to Google and Apple, you have the knowledge of the universe in the palm of your hand. Thanks to Amazon, you’ll never manually set a kitchen timer again. Thanks to IBM and NASA, people walked on the moon. In my eyes, technology can augment human expertise.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on how artificial intelligence can automatically handle customer interactions via voice and messaging platforms, reducing costto-serve and improving customer satisfaction – strangely enough, customers prefer to converse with chatbots than humans in a call centre!

What motivates you?

I like fixing things. I bring industry and process expertise, technology, and innovation to solve my clients’ most pressing business problems. I enjoy the battle for survival against digital disruption, customer expectations, and regulatory demands.

What is one of the greatest challenges in your job?

It’s hard not to get carried away with all the hype around technology. Industry analysts keep saying that digital new entrants will disrupt the market and eat your lunch. But in the utilities industry alone, 10 energy suppliers have gone bust in the last year and profit margins are precariously low.

I believe the incumbents will strike back because they have 80% of data that is not on the web and once they mine that data, they will dominate the customer relationship.

How did you get into the sector?

I studied Modern Languages at Oriel, which wasn’t the most obvious stepping stone into technology

32 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

and utilities. However, I’ve always had a keen interest in technology, and the utilities industry is essential because you simply cannot live without water, electricity, and gas. I used to have an air source heat pump, which extracts heat from the outside air and transfers it back into the house.

But there was a technical fault and the fan was constantly whirring, which sent my electricity bill through the roof. Thanks to my Smart Energy Monitor, I was able to spot this abnormally high energy usage and get it fixed, saving me hundreds of pounds each year.

Who or what inspired you during your time at Oriel?

I was inspired by all the choices on offer, from the Spanish film society to the table tennis club – whatever you wanted, Oriel catered for your interests. Oh, and my housemates were able to answer every single question on the quiz show Fifteen to One, which was pretty impressive.

What has been your greatest triumph?

Helping my youngest son to get over his developmental speech disorder. I bought him an Amazon Echo Dot and it’s wonderful to see his face light up when Alexa responds to his questions about dinosaurs. For me, technology has the power to inspire people.

Do you have any unusual hobbies?

I’m an erstwhile drum’n’bass DJ! Do you do any voluntary work or work in the community?

I was recently awarded my football badges to coach my son’s U10s team. Similar to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, I got a bit over-excited at the last match and stormed onto the pitch to hug one of my players to the ground after he scored the winner – the parents looked horrified.

What is the one piece of ‘life’ advice you would give to a current student?

No booze before 6pm!

What advice would you give for a student wishing to join your industry?

Think about how technology has impacted your own life, then apply those stories to help companies transform themselves into digital businesses, engage their customers as individuals, and embrace new business models. And get some work experience. All the big technology companies offer summer internships and if you work hard, you’ll have a job offer waiting for you once you graduate, which means you won’t have to run away to South America like I did!

Sara Khalid 2008, MSc Biomedical Engineering; 2009, DPhil Engineering Science What’s your current role?

Postdoctoral researcher in computational health informatics. Also founder of the social enterprise Trashformers.

Where has life taken you since you left Oriel?

I considered moving into consulting but eventually settled for a life in academia in my field: signal processing and machine learning for healthcare.

What are you working on at the moment?

Using my background in signal processing and machine learning, I am doing research with large electronic healthcare databases, extracting policy-informing patterns and developing clinical prediction tools that forecast the risk of someone having a particular disease, often rare ones.

Naturally, working in healthcare research means I am interested in environmental effects, so I am also developing research projects at the intersection of healthcare and environment, with a particular focus on the impact of plastics.

Tell us about Trashformers This is something I developed while I was on a ‘gap-year’ in Pakistan after completing my doctoral studies, and saw first-hand what plastics had done to the once-beautiful city I grew up in, Karachi. Globally, less than 40% of plastic is recovered for recycling, which means that over 8 million tonnes of it enters the oceans every year. At this rate there will soon be more plastic in the ocean than fish, by weight. While paper and metal are traditionally well-recovered, in most places in the world there is no proper system for the sorted collection and recycling of plastics. So in the face of this plastics emergency, Trashformers aims to enable sorting and recycling waste – specifically, plastic waste at household level. It does this by taking a citizen science approach, leveraging one of the things modern human beings love: their mobile phones, and taking pictures with them. This is now evolving into environmental conservation projects with charities such as WWF. What motivates you?

I like to see something changed for the better because of work that I have done or

have directly influenced. This drive to make things better is in part due to the Rhodes Scholar mindset and is hard to shake off, even if you try!

What is one of the greatest challenges in your job?

Juggling my personal life with my career, which I must say is an on-going one but is not without its rewards.

How did you get into the sector?

Engineering is part of the family DNA so it was an obvious choice.

Who or what inspired you during your time at Oriel?

Oriel women were doing really well at rowing at the time I started, so that got me interested in rowing for the College, as well as squash, of which we ended up being the champions in that one year!

What has been your greatest triumph?

That has yet to come! ‘Ad astra’, as they say.

Do you have any unusual hobbies?

I write children’s books, but I wouldn’t say that is unusual, not by far, by Oxford standards.

Do you do any voluntary work or work in the community?

I chair a local primary school’s governance body and help out with youth cricket as and when I can.

What is the one piece of ‘life’ advice you would give to a current student?

In choosing paths (on those rare occasions when life offers you that luxury), it’s important to be true to yourself and your values, and go for something that you’d be proud to leave behind as your legacy.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 33

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY

Jonathan Greenacre

Who or what inspired you during your time at Oriel?

My supervisor, John Armour, was a constant inspiration. His knowledge base is just immense, and he is also a warm and generous person. And just the ancient walls of Oriel and Oxford more generally. I felt that I was part of something much greater than me. I also felt a responsibility to carry the great traditions of Oxford on with me through life, exploring ways to improve our shared human condition, particularly by helping us understand our world a little better.

2017, DPhil in Law Current role in technology sector: Hitachi Faculty Fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA Where has life taken you since you left Oriel?

My DPhil focused on the regulation of ‘mobile money’. This is a new payment system that has spread rapidly across the developing world. Usually it is provided by phone companies, not banks. Safaricom, a Vodafone subsidiary, pioneered the first service in Kenya in 2007. Recent data suggests that there are now 866 million accounts, overwhelmingly located in sub-Saharan Africa.

Since my time at Oriel, I have used the framework in my thesis to assist the Reserve Bank of Malawi to rethink its regulation of mobile money. I did this on a post-doc at Oxford which I instigated, funded by the United Nations. I then lived in Montenegro for a while, writing up some of my findings.

What do you most enjoy about working in the technology sector?

I like the ‘newness’ of the technology sector: exploring questions of policy, technology, and international development that have not been examined before. I also like exploring how this technology can be used to improve people’s lives in developing countries, and how regulation can help this process.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am developing my DPhil into a book with Cambridge University Press. I also teach a course called ‘Technology, Development and Regulation’, and I lead a project with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This involves using the findings from my thesis to help regulators strengthen their regulation of mobile money. We focus on Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, and Pakistan.

What motivates you?

Two main factors: one is that I love learning new things. Oxford helped instil that in me.

The other is that I really want to make the world better, particularly by expanding what we know about the world.

What is one of the greatest challenges in your job?

Job insecurity. My research traverses law, 34 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

What has been your greatest triumph?

My DPhil in Law was a great challenge and my greatest triumph. It took me many years and a lot of searching for answers in the dark. But I made it in the end.

Do you have any unusual hobbies?

I like classical music; both light-hearted and more serious movies; poetry; and karaoke! economics, international development, sociology, and technology. Finding research funding and a job is difficult because I don’t fit into a category.

How did you get into the sector?

I became interested in humanitarian work in 2003. In January of that year I visited a humanitarian centre designed to help victims of landmines. I started a charity back in Australia raising money for landmine victims.

We supported projects that helped landmine victims develop an income. I saw that an income was essential to enable people to afford better education for themselves and their families, to access health and other social benefits, and ultimately to move out of poverty. I thought ‘how can we help more low-income people to better protect and grow their incomes?’

I learned about mobile money while advising the Governor of the Central Bank of East Timor in 2011. Early reports from Kenya were suggesting that this was a potentially transformative technology. I wanted to see how we could make it work in other countries and how regulation can help.

Do you do any voluntary work or work in the community?

Not voluntary work, but I hope that my efforts in Africa are making things better in small ways.

What is the one piece of ‘life’ advice you would give to a current student?

Do some soul-searching and find out what you really want to do with your life. I enjoy being around people who are positive about life. Most of those are doing more or less what they want to do with their lives. Sounds so simple but takes some searching to get there.

What advice would you give for a student wishing to join your industry?

Get out there and network, including by using Oriel and Oxford connections. The sector is moving quickly, but Oriel and Oxford are great brands to bring with you. Turn up at events, organise coffee with people in the field, and find other practical ways to get into the field.

The Next Industry Focus – The Food and Drinks Industry Our next industry focus will look at the food and drinks sector. Whether you are a buyer for a supermarket, a trainee chocolatier, a chef, or manage a restaurant, if would like to be considered for inclusion, please contact verity.armstrong@oriel.ox.ac.uk. All levels of experience and roles will be considered.

THE SIXTH FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION K

The information revolution is the most important event in our species’ short but dramatic history.

laus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Foundation, has done much to popularise the notion that we are entering a fourth industrial revolution – not least by writing a book of that name. It is a misleading and unhelpful label.

This is the sixth time that the fourth industrial revolution has been announced.

(The others, since you ask, were atomic energy in 1948, ubiquitous electronics in 1955, computers in 1970, the information age in 1984, and, finally, nanotechnology.)

Furthermore, if we are in the business of chopping the industrial revolution into pieces, it is by no means clear that there have only been three so far:

1712: primitive steam engines, textile manufacturing machines, and canals 1830: mobile steam engines and railways 1875: steel and heavy engineering, the chemicals industry 1910: oil, electricity, mass production, cars, airplanes and mass travel The growing capability of artificial intelligence is part of something much bigger than another lap of the industrial revolution: it is part of the information revolution.

The information revolution The distinguishing feature of the information revolution is that information and knowledge become increasingly important factors of production, alongside capital, labour, and raw materials.

Information acquires an economic value in its own right.

Services are the mainstay of the overall economy, pushing manufacturing into second place, and agriculture into third.

An Austrian economist named Fritz Machlup calculated that knowledge industries accounted for a third of US GDP in 1959, and argued that that qualified the country as an information society. That seems as good a date as any to pick as the start of the information revolution.

iracosma - stock.adobe.com

Not just semantics Is this important, or is it just semantics?

First, labels are an important part of language, and language is what allows us to communicate effectively, kill mammoths, and build walls and pyramids. When labels point to the wrong things, or point to different things for different people, you get confusion instead of communication.

Secondly, the information revolution is the most important event in our species’ short but dramatic history. It is our fourth great transformative wave.

The first was the cognitive revolution, when our ability to communicate and co-operate made us the apex predator. Second was the agricultural revolution, which turned foragers into farmers. That gave us mastery over animals, and generated food surpluses, which allowed our population to grow enormously. It made the lives of individual humans considerably less pleasant on average, but it greatly advanced the species.

The third, of course, was the industrial revolution, which in many ways gave us mastery of the planet. Coupled with the enlightenment and the discovery of the scientific method, it ended the perpetual tyranny of famine and starvation, and brought the majority of the species out of the abject poverty which had been the fate of almost every human before. For most people in the developed world, it created lifestyles which would have been the envy of kings and queens in previous generations.

The information revolution will do even more. If we survive the two singularities – the economic one (automation) and the technological one (superintelligence) – it will make us godlike. If we flunk those transitions, we may go extinct, or perhaps just be thrown back to something like the middle ages. Muddying the waters of our understanding of the information revolution, by calling parts of it the fourth industrial revolution, does not help.

Calum Chace (1978, PPE) Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 35

FROM SPIRES TO INSPIRING

THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY TO BECOMING A FILMMAKER

FROM SPIRES TO INSPIRING

paulrommer - stock.adobe.com

FROM SPIRES TO INSPIRING

elements of his shattered soul across Myanmar, before his soul’s complete disintegration kills him. This drama takes place in religious fairs and festivals across the country and melds the traditional belief of the Karen people with contemporary Myanmar. It’s a vibrant, fast-paced adventure of love in changing times.

Arrow, my New Zealand short, was scripted by New Zealand writer-actor Jodie Hillock, and I’m attached as director. It’s set in the frontier gold-mining era of New Zealand’s early settlement by Europeans and is about a desperate woman escaping a man’s world, risking death to save another woman.

Yamin Tun (PPE, 1994) is an awardwinning filmmaker, who is currently working on four feature film projects set in Myanmar, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the UK. She won the New Zealand film industry ‘Emerging Filmmaker of the Year Award’ in 2016, and as a screenwriterdirector won Best Film, Jury Prizes, and Filmmaking Achievement Awards in New Zealand for her short film Wait.

She has also been shortlisted for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and for a Sundance Indigenous Fellowship.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on four feature film projects and one New Zealand short: The Teak and the Cloth, set in Myanmar, is about two brothers – one a child soldier, the other a child monk, who are separated for 25 years and meet on opposing sides in the Saffron Revolution in Myanmar 2007. One must kill the other in order to survive.

Hong Kong Story is a mature love story about a refugee family facing statelessness in Hong Kong in the run-up to 1997.

The Dream of the River is set in Oxford, New Zealand, India, and Hong Kong, and is about the reincarnated soul of a botanist. In past incarnations she’s not a botanist, but plants and rivers do feature. This film draws on mysticism and mythical stories from various cultures – think folk tales and Greek mythology mixed with 2001: A Space Odyssey – but on earth.

The Thirty-Seven Klar follows a young Burmese-Karen man who chases disparate 36 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

How did you get into the film industry?

My path to filmmaking was circuitous. I’ve loved film since I was six years old. My family had relocated to Hong Kong from Hartlepool, UK, and as Burmese migrants in a foreign, unforgiving metropolis we faced huge personal turmoil. In this turmoil, I found a world that reflected and gripped me in arthouse movies on late-night Hong Kong television – films from Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, China, the Antipodes. I saw places and personal drama that were so far from the life we were living that I didn’t think filmmaking would ever be for me. I wanted it, but didn’t dare say this to myself.

At Oxford, I didn’t get involved in drama, which I hugely regret. I enjoyed watching it, and I enjoyed supporting my friends who directed, performed, and stage designed (I did help build stages for two Oriel summer shows, which I’m proud of) – but I was shy about drama. Growing up in Hong Kong, I didn’t know any filmmakers, had no lineage or contacts in the arts, never saw theatre, and was told by society and school to suppress any artistic ambition. Perhaps working in the wings helping build those sets at Oriel whilst listening to my contemporaries talk about drama let in the first chinks of light, introducing me to a world I’d never known.

Certainly being at Oxford empowered me to believe in myself, and in spite of starting with no background in my chosen industry, this belief has helped me enormously in carving out my career. Being at Oriel, an intimate and dynamic College, also helped because the College is small enough that people from different subjects and with different interests get to know each other.

The truth is I was lost at Oxford because of the gap between what my heart yearned for and the paths that seemed directly in front of me. I don’t think there’s any shame

in saying such a thing. It’s important that Orielenses know that life is a journey. We change so much through the journey that is life; and youth, age, time are irrelevant – you do not have to be in your career by 25, or 30.

You do not have to stay in one career all your life if it doesn’t fulfil you. You can find what does, as long as you stay true to yourself and never give up.

Filmmaking is esoteric, a world most of us don’t know how to enter, so I would advise anyone at Oriel wanting to be a filmmaker or theatre practitioner, actor, artist, dramatist, or writer: declare your hand early and work hard towards it. Do not be embarrassed by it, or by your ambition. I wish I had begun earlier, but I’m testament to the fact that one can follow one’s life passions even after a number of years going in different directions. One thing I’ve realised is that, no matter how successful one is in a career, if it is not the career your heart lives for, you know it. There is a gap inside you that longs for your annual leave; that evaporates the glow of a weekend at 4pm every Sunday afternoon. This hollowness is hard to ignore all your life.

I found film a little later, through a stroke of luck, but also because I never gave up loving it. I met a New Zealander while we were both working in London, emigrated to New Zealand with him, entered an amateur short film competition there, and Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 37

FROM SPIRES TO INSPIRING

EVENTS

I didn’t know any filmmakers, had no lineage or contacts in the arts, never saw theatre, and was told by society and school to suppress any artistic ambition…certainly being at Oxford empowered me to believe in myself, and in spite of starting with no background in my chosen industry, this belief has helped me enormously in carving out my career.

unexpectedly won a full fees scholarship to study film directing as a graduate.

At film school, I was fortunate to have a tutor who told me I was already a filmmaker because she read my scripts, saw my cinematic language as a director, and encouraged me to apply for funding from the New Zealand Film Commission. I was reluctant because I had no gauge to know if my work was any good, but I did apply and was successful with the script I wrote in my year at film school. My student film was also selected for the New Zealand International Film Festival (the first student film from my film school selected in the 60-year history of the festival), and the talent and script executives at the New Zealand Film Commission have supported my career ever since.

I feel lucky to be doing this work, but it’s a slog too, because I have to deliver good work to keep their interest, write draft after draft of powerful screenplays, write treatments, funding proposals, writer and director’s vision documents that move people in very competitive funding environments. It’s a challenge but every time I write, every time I work on a project, my understanding of my own craft and of myself deepens. It’s extraordinary to be doing this work.

What are the greatest challenges of the film industry?

Money! Film funding and financing are hugely competitive. It’s also an industry which is very name-driven: financing flocks to named talent and proven track records so when you’re emerging, it feels hard to get your first feature off the ground. The sums of money required to make even an independent, low-budget film are large compared to say a theatre show, so raising financing can take a while. This is a challenge for me, and I’m determined to get good at raising finance. In the meantime, 38 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

my work as a screenwriter-director is to keep writing drafts of screenplays and pitches that are utterly captivating – this is not easy work.

Screenwriting, like writing novels, plays, poetry, is the loneliest, hardest job, with oneself being the toughest judge. Most days you feel like doing anything but writing, and you have to find ways to trick your own wiring so you don’t procrastinate, watch films/ television/go to a café/garden/surf/polish the silver and do the vacuuming again. You have to find a way to actually sit down, open the screenplay, and write.

Finding the money to finance films, convincing other people of the potential of your projects in a sea of many great projects, sustaining yourself on sometimes tiny writer’s fees whilst you write, dusting yourself off after disappointments to rise again – these are the challenges of the industry.

What do you most enjoy about the film industry?

I love everything about my industry that is not in the above! Other than forcing oneself to rise after disappointment – which actually is cathartic and character-forming – all of the above can deflate, derail, and destroy a film career.

I suppose what I love most about my industry and my work is that it is rigorous and infinitely creative, it is dramatic and subtle, it colours all of life and is about life.

I research my films before writing, I study people, our hopes, dreams, ambitions, disappointments, desolation, our actions and inaction, our lives, story, poetry, spirituality – anything to deepen my experience on this earth. Filmmaking for me does all these things, and as someone who has loved great writing since I was a child, who has loved great moving images and has loved the rigour and depth of great minds (hence enjoying my time at Oxford and admiring so many of my contemporaries across all subjects), filmmaking engages every fibre in my body.

It is the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about before I sleep. Since I began filmmaking, I have no desire to go on holiday – who would want a holiday from their own life’s passion, their reason for being?

We are dreamers, we humans, but somewhere along the way, most of us are told to stop dreaming. Filmmaking is the marriage of dreaming and ambition. It requires unbelievable drive, reserves of resilience, and powerful ambition. I believe many people at Oxford who have the openness to do it, the passion, and the desire, can be filmmakers. All of us are intelligent, many of us have drive, most of us have ambition. If you add to that purpose – what do you want to say with film? – you have a filmmaker.

EVENTS REPORT

Tokyo Dinner

Hong Kong Dinner

Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo In March, our Provost, Neil Mendoza, and Director of Development, Sean Power, were delighted to catch up with Orielenses at the Oriel Dinners that took place in the ShangriLa Hotel in Singapore and in the China Club in Hong Kong,

followed by the Oxford Alumni Weekend Dinner in Tokyo.

Many thanks to Tony Chan (1992, MEng), Josephine Cheung, and Hoi Tung (1991, MEng) for hosting us in Hong Kong; and to PK Tan (1982, Engineering) for hosting us in Singapore.

London

Women’s Dinner

For the third year in a row the Oriel London Dinner was a complete sell out. 144 Orielenses and their guests stepped aboard HMS Belfast, where the sunny weather meant pre-dinner drinks were held on deck, which offered beautiful views of Tower Bridge.

We would like to thank all of those who attended, in particular Theo Rycroft (1994, Classics), who gave a fascinating speech on the latest development on the EU exit negotiations.

We are already searching for a venue for next year’s dinner, so do keep an eye out for more information soon.

Oriel held its annual Women’s Dinner on Friday 3 May, organised and hosted by current student Phoebe Finn (2016, English Language and Literature). The Dinner was attended by students, staff, Fellows and the Provost, who heard speeches from Orielenses Nell Butler (1985, PPE), television producer, Sarah Miles (1990, PPE), Head of Amazon Fashion private label business in Europe, and Claire Toogood (1991, Jurisprudence), Barrister specialising in medical negligence.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 39

A LASTING IMPACT

A LASTING IMPACT

A LASTING IMPACT For any individual, a legacy pledge is likely to be the largest and most important philanthropic gift they will ever make. A legacy represents a lifetime’s work and achievements, and carries the profoundest significance for both the pledger and the recipient. Those who choose to remember Oriel in their Wills often do so with gratitude for the opportunities that the College has afforded them; with a desire to stay deeply engaged and connected with Oriel; and above all, with the hope of securing the same experiences and opportunities for future generations. Planned giving allows Orielenses to leave something enduring behind, and in many cases to make a greater impact than may be possible in their lifetime.

For the College, legacy bequests represent a vital source of income, contributing towards Oriel’s continuing financial stability.

Planned giving is more important than ever: while Higher Education funding has been insecure for decades, legacy gifts can strengthen our endowment, and protect the unique tutorial system that is central to an Oxford education. This enables the College to plan for the future, maintaining its academic excellence and supportive teaching environment, and ensuring a rich experience for future generations of Orielenses.

A Lifetime’s Work Alec Bond came to Oriel as an undergraduate in 1943, having been awarded a full scholarship to read Chemistry. He was the first in his family to attend university, and after leaving Oriel, he maintained a close connection – he remained a regular attendee at College events, despite having retired to the Lake District in 1979. After graduating with a BSc, Alec continued to focus on his academic subject throughout his working life, joining Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) as an industrial chemist in research and development. His career with 40 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

For nearly 700 years, many Orielenses have chosen to make a legacy pledge to the College, after making provision for family and friends in their wills.

ICI spanned 34 years, and Alec attributed all of his successes to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he was afforded to attend Oriel.

Alec died in December 2017. He had generously made Oriel the major beneficiary of his estate, and when probate is completed, it is expected that the value of Alec’s legacy bequest to the College will exceed £1m. His lifetime’s work will endure, as his generous legacy will help Oriel to provide outstanding education well into the future.

A Tradition of Gratitude Legacy gifts have been a mainstay of philanthropy at Oriel since the College’s first Provost and Legator, Adam de Brome (d. 1332). For nearly 700 years, many Orielenses have chosen to make a legacy pledge to the College, after making provision for family and friends in their Wills. The College’s average annual income from legacy bequests is over £1m, which underlines the vital contribution that planned giving makes towards Oriel’s financial stability.

The Adam de Brome Society recognises, with gratitude, the generous and long-term commitment of those who have made legacy pledges to Oriel. With 275 members at present, the Society events each year are always enjoyable and memorable occasions.

Anyone who chooses to make a planned gift to Oriel can be certain that their lifetime’s work, which in many cases began here, will endure, and will have a profound and lasting effect on the future of their College.

There are several different types of legacy bequest that can be made to Oriel, and different ways in which your gift can make an impact. Please contact Rob Buckett (Development Officer: Regular Giving and Legacies: rob.buckett@oriel.ox.ac.uk) if you would like to discuss making a provision for Oriel in your Will.

John Cook (photo credit: John Cairns)

Reflections from John Cook, Oriel’s New Adam de Brome Fellow On the election of Sir Zelman Cowen as Provost in 1981, John Albert (1956, Modern History) and others learned that there were significant concerns about the College’s finances. In a moment of inspiration, John recalled that Lord Todd, subsequently a winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, had gained his doctorate at Oriel.

John approached Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) on the grounds that the company had benefited from Lord Todd’s research, which resulted in ICI making a substantial gift to Oriel. With help from Peter Collett, Sir Bryan Nicholson, Lord Harris and others, in due course further funds were raised from other sources.

Thus began John Albert’s contribution to Oriel in which he managed to combine fundraising with having fun. When he was elected President of the Oriel Society, he and his wife Anne set about a programme, over many years, organising holidays for alumni. Anne had a family château in Normandy, and so they invited the Society to stay and explore. Subsequent holidays based in conveniently located châteaux then followed. Other Orielenses then organised trips to destinations in Europe and around the world.

Elected Adam de Brome Fellow, John was able to encourage many who had enjoyed these Oriel holidays to pledge legacies to the

College. He worked closely with his two predecessors, Peter Collett and Robin Harland. Today these legacy pledges are vital to securing the long-term financial stability of the College.

When The Queen, our Visitor, lunched in the College in 2013, John Albert was the natural choice to sit next to Her Majesty. For 40 years he has been central to the progress of the College: it is a privilege to succeed John as Adam de Brome Fellow.

In recent years I have had the opportunity to chair Oriel’s Investment Advisory Committee. During this time, with professional management and legacy giving, the endowment has increased in value by roughly 10% annually. There is, though, much still to be done. I see my main role, as John Albert’s successor, as representing you all and encouraging you to combine supporting the College with having fun. The inclusion of a legacy in your Will is one painless way of supporting financially: it is your Executors who sign the cheque.

John Cook (1965, Modern History)

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 41

ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI NEWS

UNIVERSIFY EDUCATION Orielensis-led Outreach Charity Shows Success by Starting Earlier

A

distinguished musical alumnus of the College has been much in the news as a result of his recent visit to the UK, and despite his crowded schedule, managed to fit in a visit to us. Zane Dalal, born in London of Parsi parentage, came to the College in 1983 as organ scholar. During his residence he made a notable contribution to the life of Oriel, always passionate about making music.

Since graduating, he has had a distinguished international career in music making, mostly in North America and the Far East. Since 2007, he has been closely involved with the Orchestra of India, based at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai, where he has actively participated in the formation of a highly professional orchestra recruited from all over the world.

His and their ambition is to bring knowledge of Western classical music to the Indian subcontinent. The Centre runs educational programmes, which are already producing professional Indian musicians. At present, 15 of the 89 players are Indian, with every expectation that the number will increase in coming years.

Last month, Zane brought the Orchestra over on its first British tour, beginning in Birmingham before going on to Guildford, London, Bath, Cardiff, and Edinburgh. The tour, much of which he conducted, was a crowning success to what has been achieved in Mumbai.

The opening concert in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, was well attended. After a rousing Berlioz overture, there was the first British performance of a concerto for orchestra and Indian tabla, or drum, written and performed by maestro Zakir Hussain, which demonstrated how the two great traditions of Western and Eastern classical music can be successfully combined. The concert ended with RimskyKorsakov's Scheherazade, which revealed both the exquisite sensitivity of the conductor and orchestra, and the magical acoustic of the Hall.

At the end of the highly successful tour, Zane flew home to Los Angeles, where last year he hosted a reception for Orielenses.

ccess is a hot topic for Oxford. You may have even heard about it in the national press (!). The annual ritual of access figures and Guardian recriminations is familiar, but behind the bluster lies the great shame that young students of exceptional ability are often not applying. As Orielenses, I’m sure we’re all aware of the tremendous advantages that were afforded to us by studying here and would want the same opportunity to be available to all young students with ability, regardless of background. To do this, we need to catch students early.

Many higher education outreach programmes are designed to introduce sixth-formers to selective universities. But if we shift the focus to target students earlier, there is more time to alter the trajectory of those who have the academic potential but are not considering university, or who are currently underachieving. By showing 15-year-olds that a university education can be exciting, challenging, and rewarding – and empowering them to believe that they can aspire to an elite university – you can set students on the road to achievement in time to make a difference.

This was the pitch that Harry Hortyn (formerly Hoare, 2005, PPE) put to me in 2016 when he founded Universify Education, a charity that runs an academic and mentoring programme for students from deprived backgrounds with academic potential.

Building on what he had learned from running Oxford Summer Courses (his commercial summer school business) and calling in favours from his old tutors (and former Oriel Dean, James Methven), he and a group of volunteers managed to launch with a cohort of 41 students.

Universify’s data show that the programme transforms participants’ likelihood to apply to university. I was impressed by the focus on outcomes, and the outcomes themselves. I was so impressed that I became a donor. Now, I’m a trustee and I’ve pledged to help raise Universify’s profile (this article is but the start…)

Universify’s first cohort is now completing Year 13, and eagerly anticipating their A-Level exams. Seven students applied to Oxbridge and three now hold offers (vs an expected rate of 1.1, based on their backgrounds). It’s a phenomenal success story and I’m proud to be part of this Orielensis-led charity.

There’s a plethora of access schemes out there, but what marks out Universify is the early intervention point and continuous follow-up between residential stays in Oxford. We’re hoping to continue to expand the programme, so please get in touch if you would like to find out more or get involved: matt.lacey@universifyeducation.com.

Dr Robert Beddard (Emeritus Fellow in Modern History)

Matt Lacey (2005, Modern History)

ZANE DALAL – LEADING THE WAY A

Zane as organ scholar with the chapel choir in 1986

42 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

Harry Hortyn (left) with co-founder Robert Phipps (right)

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 43

BOOK CORNER

ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI NEWS

BOOK CORNER Orielensia

Women’s VIII from 2016 Torpids

Did you row in a women’s boat between 1985 and 2000?

Founded in 1935, the Tortoise Club exists to recognise and celebrate outstanding rowers at Oriel and provide financial support to the Oriel College Boat Club. Membership is earned on the river and, much like the memories, lasts a lifetime.

Since 2016, the Tortoise Club has been operating as a unified club, welcoming both women and men with a history of rowing excellence during their time at Oriel. Tortoise status is granted at the discretion of the Tortoise Club Council to Oriel oarsmen and oarswomen who rowed in crews which performed well on the river during Torpids and Eights, or in an external regatta.

To improve our records of Tortoise women between the years 1985 and 2000, please get in touch with the secretary, Helen Belgrano Operto, at tortoisesecretary@orielrowing.org, if you rowed in the first boat, or an exceptionally performing second boat, during this time.

We very much look forward to hearing from you.

Taking silk Congratulations to James Roberts (1989, Law) who was appointed as Queen’s Counsel on 11 March 2019. James is a family practitioner who specialises in complex divorce and financial remedy cases. He also undertakes children’s work, in particular cases with an international element.

The juggling act Orielensis Lucy Fry (2000, English), has co-founded 'The Juggling Act' – an innovative coaching programme aimed at helping mothers who are returning to work to take their career to new heights. Various workshops are available. You can find out more at https://thejugglingact.co.uk/.

44 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

It is not widely known but the Senior Library is home to 'Orielensia'. Whilst this may sound like a faraway magical land, it is in fact a section of the Library where the College collects books written by or about Orielenses, and current students can borrow these books like any others. If you have written a book and would like to donate a copy to be kept in Orielensia then please do contact library@oriel.ox.ac.uk

Sweet Slices of History Former Librarian Marjory Szurko has launched her first book, Sweet Slices of History, based on the historical recipes she began exploring when hosting her 'Edible Exhibitions' at Oriel College. The book describes the creation of sweet dishes and cakes from historical recipes in today's setting. From courtly cuisine in the 14th century, through to country house confections in the early 20th century, the reader will discover how to cook these rare sweets and recreate the past. The book has been shortlisted for the Fortnum and Mason Food and Drink Awards 2019.

Run, Ride, Sink or Swim Orielensis, Lucy Fry (2000, English) published her book Run, Ride, Sink or Swim in 2015; it focuses on a year in the exhilarating and addictive world of women’s triathlon. At the age of 31, Lucy Fry was pretty certain she knew her limits: triathlon was not for her. But as increasing numbers of her female friends signed up to tri, Lucy couldn't help wondering: what was it about this sport that women found so transformative? The time had come to find out. The book features the Blenheim Triathlon, which takes place only a stone’s throw from Oriel. The book was shortlisted for the Sports Book Awards in 2016.

A Bridge to Mathematics

Hope is a Small Barn

Congratulations to Geetha Venkataraman (1991, Mathematics), who co-authored a textbook on Mathematics for liberal art students entitled A Bridge to Mathematics, which was published by Sage Publications in 2017. Geetha is a Professor of Mathematics and Dean of Consultancy and Research at Ambedkar University, Delhi. She is also part of a government advisory panel which created a roadmap for Education and Technology in India up to 2035.

Gregory LeStage (1989, English) recently had his new book, Hope is a Small Barn, published by Antrim House Books. This book is a collection of beautifully crafted poems. Gregg earned his MPhil and DPhil in English Literature. He also taught modern literature to undergraduates and was President of the Oxford Poetry Society.

He left academia for a 20-year career in management consulting, and is currently Managing Director of Egon Zehnder’s Leadership Advisory practice in Boston. Poetry has been his passion and avocation: Small Gods of Summer was a 2013 finalist for the Eric Hoffer Prize, and Hope is a Small Barn was runner up for the 2018 Julia Ward Howe Award. He is also on the board of Mass Poetry, a non-profit that uses poetry to drive literacy and engagement in schools and communities.

Seeking Equality Dr John Harles (1979, DPhil Politics) has recently published Seeking Equality: The Political Economy of the Common Good in the United States and Canada. The book compares economic equality in the United States and Canada. Although the North American neighbours have a lot in common – socially, politically, and economically – Canadians enjoy significantly higher levels of equality and material wellbeing. Seeking Equality explains why.

The Political Economy of the Common Good in the United States and Canada

Essence in the Age of Evolution Dr Christopher J. Austin (2011, BPhil Philosophy) has published Essence in the Age of Evolution: A New Theory of Natural Kinds, with Routledge. A work in the philosophy of science, the book provides a fresh perspective on an ancient idea by offering a philosophical framework for understanding the nature of organisms that is inspired by Aristotle, but informed by the data of contemporary evolutionary-developmental biology.

Architect, Patron and Craftsman in Tudor and Early Stuart England Professor Malcolm Airs (1960, Modern History) was honoured with the book Architect, Patron and Craftsman in Tudor and Early Stuart England: Essays for Malcolm Airs, edited by P.S. Barnwell and Paula Henderson, published by Shaun Tyas, Donnington, 2017. The book contains the papers of a conference held at Rewley House to celebrate Professor Airs’ 75th birthday, and includes an additional chapter by William Whyte, Vice-President of St John's, with some interesting observations on the teaching of history at Oriel in the 1960s.

A Life in Film, and On Wandsworth Bridge Orielensis Martin Bridgewater (1970, Law) has recently co-authored Akira Kurosawa: A Life in Film about the Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa, featuring illustrations from Martin’s collection of posters and ephemera relating to his films, to be published by Sylph Editions later this year.

He has also arranged the publication by Sylph Editions of a novel, On Wandsworth Bridge, from a manuscript left behind by his late wife, Hattie Pond, when she died in 2013. It was Hattie’s lifelong ambition to be a published novelist, and the publication of On Wandsworth Bridge is the fulfilment of her dying wish. The Literary Review (Jan/Feb 2019) has called it ‘a highly original, very strange, wonderful read’ and ‘Sadly, … the only novel we have from this original, extraordinary mind’.

Professor Chandra Follows his Bliss Congratulations to Dr Rajeev Balasubramanyam (1994, PPE), whose new novel, Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, was published by Chatto & Windus/ Vintage in January. The book follows Professor Chandra, a Cambridge economist who keeps failing to win the Nobel prize, in his attempts to solve the one problem he can't crack: the secret of happiness.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 45

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

YOUR VIEWS

YOUR VIEWS

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2019–20

In every issue we would like to feature a few ‘retro’ photographs from the students days of a particular Orielensis – ‘a blast from the past if you will’. We thought that our new Provost and Orielensis, Neil Mendoza (1978, Geography) would be a fantastic alumnus to get the ball rolling, so here are a handful of photos from student days in the late 1970s.

September 2019

February 2020

20-21 Oriel Alumni Weekend 21 2010–2011 Gaudy 23 Alumni Golf Day

7

October 2019 25

Working in Third Quad

1953-59 Gaudy Adam de Brome Lunch

Champagne Concert

November 2019 30

Returners’ Dinner

March 2020 20 21

Raleigh Society Dinner

September 2020 11 12

Development and Alumni Engagement Office

Friday Alumni Dinner 1990 – 1992 Gaudy

Sean Power Fellow and Director of Development and Alumni Engagement 01865 276964, sean.power@oriel.ox.ac.uk Responsible for the work of the Development Office, which covers both fundraising and alumni relations for the College.

Bobby Higson Head of Alumni Engagement and Operations 01865 276585, bobby.higson@oriel.ox.ac.uk Responsible for overseeing alumni events and communications functions of the Development Office, as well as prospect management and research.

For any queries on events please visit http://alumni.oriel.ox.ac.uk/events/ or email events@oriel.ox.ac.uk.

Henry Carter Head of Development

Please note that for all events in College, we have an induction hearing loop permanently installed in Hall. For further information regarding any of the above events, please contact our Alumni Relations and Events Officer. Tel: 01865 276585; email: events@oriel.ox.ac.uk.

You can book online at www.oriel.ox.ac.uk.

Has strategic and operational responsibility for regular, mid-level, and major gifts to Oriel in the UK.

01865 276560, henry.carter@oriel.ox.ac.uk

Verity Armstrong Alumni Communications Officer 01865 613528, verity.armstrong@armstrong.ox.ac.uk

JCR meetings could get rowdy

Diary for 2019–20

Geography field trip

Terms

Hillary Reitman Development Officer (Major Gifts)

Michaelmas Term 2019 Sunday 13 October – Saturday 7 December

Responsible for mid-level gifts.

Hilary Term 2020 Sunday 19 January – Saturday 14 March Trinity Term 2020 Sunday 26 April – Saturday 20 June

Oriel Alumni Golf Day (2019) The annual Oriel Alumni Golf Day will be held on Monday 23 September at Woking Golf Club, Surrey.

Format is an 18 hole stableford competition off full handicap followed by lunch and trophy presentation.

All golfing abilities welcome. For further details please contact Graham Davies via e-mail at drgrahamdavies@gmail.com

After Finals

Charlie Skinner (JCR President, 1979) 46 | Oriel News | Summer 2019

Editor of Oriel News magazine and other brochures, e-newsletters, website and social media for alumni.

01865 286530, hillary.reitman@oriel.ox.ac.uk

Rob Buckett Development Officer (Regular Giving and Legacies) 01865 286541, robert.buckett@oriel.ox.ac.uk Responsible for the annual telephone campaign and regular giving and legacies.

Natalie Balchin Alumni Relations and Events Officer 01865 276599, natalie.balchin@oriel.ox.ac.uk Organises our alumni events and looks after alumni needs.

Louisa Chandler Researcher/PA to the Director of Development 01865 276596, louisa.chandler@oriel.ox.ac.uk Researcher for the Development Office and PA to the Director of Development.

Oriel News | Summer 2019 | 47

Development and Alumni Engagement Office Oriel College Oxford OX1 4EW Tel: 01865 286541 Email: development.office@oriel.ox.ac.uk Website: www.oriel.ox.ac.uk Registered Charity Number: 1141976 www.facebook.com/orielenses https://twitter.com/OrielAlumni

Photo by Mihnea Dumitrascu