A Paradise Remembered: Susan Karamanian on her Holtby Corridor

A Paradise Remembered

BY SUSAN L. KARAMANIAN

Susan L. Karamanian (1980, PPE) is Dean of the Hamad Bin Khalifa University College of Law in Doha, Qatar. She shares a story of enduring friendship recently commemorated by a plaque in Holtby Hall.

Susan Karamanian (r) viewing the plaque with former Somerville College Principal Alice Prochaska

When asked what I value most about my time at Somerville, I unequivocally reply that it is the lifelong friendships I developed while living in Holtby Hall. I arrived in Oxford on a crisp October morning in 1980 after a cross-Atlantic voyage on the QE II. Most of my time growing up had been spent in traditional, mixed gender settings in US schools. Yet, after getting my scholarship to Oxford, I was anxious to be in an educational environment in which being a woman was a non-issue; hence, I gravitated towards Somerville. My expectation that my time at Oxford would be spent with the English was quickly dispelled: Holtby Hall, I learned, was for foreign students. I soon discovered I had a unique opportunity in Holtby to be with engaging women from around the world who were dedicated to their studies, and informed and fearlessly outspoken about the issues that mattered to them. The zeal of Our corridor was nondescript, the doors plain, the hallway sterile, the shower temperamental – but, for us, it was a paradise.

my hallmates was matched only by their warmth. Joining us were two English women who became honorary Holtbyites. Our global family shared cups of tea, makeshift dinners, and conversations about politics, philosophy, our homes, and the latest college gossip.

In that first year, one Holtbyite stood out: Lucy Banda, the future Zambian democracy activist. Lucy never minced words. She was steadfast in her convictions. She knew everything, it seemed, and if you did or said something about which she disagreed (e.g., expressing my naïve societal views based on my Western perspective) she let you know. Behind her fierce nature, however, was a deeply caring side. Lucy frequently brought us together – so it seems fitting that it her untimely death prompted the Holtby group to start meeting on a more structured basis. Over the years, we’ve had gatherings in Oxford, London, and Paris. We catch up, eat nice food, and visit local museums. Much, but also little, has changed since our Somerville days! Last year, Sara Kalim (Somerville’s Director of Development) approached me with an idea: a plaque on our old corridor, commemorating our special group. My hallmates had no objections. The plaque was duly installed this spring.

I hope that the plaque prompts Somerville students to reflect on their time in Somerville. Yes, our corridor was nondescript, the doors plain, the hallway sterile, the shower temperamental – but, for us, it was a paradise; a unique moment when we developed relationships that have stayed with us forever. The Holtbyites hope to meet up next summer. This time it’s going to be Oxford, I suspect – and, of course, we’ll be visiting Somerville.