John Snow College Newsletter
Summer 2016 Issue 8 1
Table of Contents A word from the top JCR
Alumni Past & Upcoming Events Editor’s Note Dear Alum, As this is my last note as editor of the College Newsletter, I would like to end my term as alumni relations assistant with a few thank yous. Firstly, I am so grateful for the College and for you in the alumni community for giving me this opportunity to build and work with the Alumni Association. Thank you to all those who got involved with both the local and the London Reunions. It was wonderful to meet you all and to hear tales of your time at John Snow. Of course, working with and for John Snow would not have been nearly as rewarding had it not been for the staff and students (from undergraduate to alumni) who have made the whole experience feel utterly unique. We have so many wonderful people within our community
who are dedicated to making John Snow such a wonderful place, and I know that this will continue for years to come. So a huge thank you to them. Looking towards the future, it is my pleasure to introduce my successor for 2016/2017. Colinette Wang, a Business and Management graduate, will be taking over this role from September 2016. I wish her all the best and hope the alumni community will welcome and support her throughout the year. But for now, please enjoy the latest edition of the College Newsletter and I hope you continue to stay connected with John Snow for many years to come. Best Wishes
Monika Strycharczyk Alumni Relations & College Community Assistant 2016/2017 2
A word from the top The Principal’s Piece As usual, the Easter term flew by – always a term of stark contrasts. First, a week or two of celebrations and award events, including our Annual College Dinner at Hardwick Hall. It was a great pleasure to welcome back many of our past JCR Presidents and HLM’s (Honorary Life Member), and join with our College community in recognising the outstanding achievements of many of our students (see ‘Past and Upcoming
Events’ page for the list of college awards and awards presented to those students recognised for their contribution by the JCR).
The University is working hard on making sure that the transition of the College runs smoothly, and most importantly the student experience of those affected remains high. I would hope to be able to give you more details about the move in terms of location and timescales in the next Newsletter, and also how we plan to say ‘goodbye’ to Queen’s campus. We are planning a number of events, including an Alumni event, to this end. I hope you all have a wonderful summer, wherever you are in the world.
As always, the famous pump handle was handed over from the then current JCR President (Kenya) to the incoming JCR President (Anna). There were cheers and tears, of course… We also said goodbye this term to our Chair of College Council (Professor and PVC Tom Ward) and Avril Brown, who retired after 20 years of service as Campus Manager – more tears. We then settled in to a few weeks of revision (very quiet) and then, of course, results and graduation parties and fond farewells.
Professor Carolyn Summerbell Principal of John Snow College
As an update, we have waited until August to be able to include decisions made at University level which were taken in July. We now know that Phase 1 Medicine and Pharmacy (and the whole of the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health) will be moving to Newcastle University. The timelines are yet to be confirmed, but we know that 2016/17 will be ‘business as usual’. In 2017/18, the College will have a temporary space (a few offices and a meeting room) in Durham City, to primarily support our 2nd and 3rd year students on Business and Management – that course will be moving to Durham City in summer 2017. The Fresher intake for this programme in 2017 will be taken in Durham City only, and these Freshers will join a Durham City College – none will join John Snow (or Stephenson). In the summer of 2018, the plan is to move the College to Durham City. Our Fresher intake for 2018 will be the same as any other Durham City College, with students from all programmes offered by Durham University. 3
John Snow College JCR Kenya Peters, JCR President As this is the final report from the JCR this academic year I’d like to open by saying a very special thank you to all of you that read this newsletter as a way of staying in touch with John Snow. You’re helping to build a stronger John Snow alumni community. This year has been an eventful one, and one I never quite expected but have loved all the same. I will be sad to leave John Snow, but I am excited about joining a community that has shown to me over this past year to be just as supportive, dynamic and fun as all of the students I’ve known throughout my time here at Snow. To the graduates: Good luck, enjoy life, and make your mark out there!
Kenya Peters JCR President, 2015/16
This term in the JCR Of course we’ve had a term full of long nights in the library, and exam preparation, but we rounded that all off with a fortnight of great events put on in the first few weeks of June:
Above: 24-Hour Basketball & Football Match Below: Annual Sports Dinner 2016
Sports Annual Sports Dinner
24-Hour Basketball & Football
Our Annual College Sports Dinner this year saw presidencies passed down from year to year, an honorary life membership of our hockey club awarded to a long-standing member of the team, and a boat club President awarded his second year of Presidency.
The second 24-hour charity match this year extended to basketball. 64 brave students embarked on 24 gruelling hours of sport, managing to raise over £12,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust and The Newman Holiday Fund.
Varsity John Snow has become rather accustomed to proving their sporting dominance over Stephenson College. This year was no exception as a day of sporting events showed once again why John Snow is the better of the Queen’s Campus colleges.
College Stash is always popular with all our students and alumni, so if you are feeling a little bit nostalgic and need that extra bit of John Snow in your life, then visit our shop at: http://community.dur.ac.uk/snowjcr/about-the-jcr/merchandise/
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Events Awkward Formal
Student Development Fund
This year John Snow organised our first Awkward Formal. Picture your regular formal; add in the opportunity to change the seating plan for your amusement, and then a table for 2, just to add to the awkwardness. This great event managed to raise just over £400 for charity.
This year John Snow College has decided to push student experience and development one step further by launching the ‘student development fund’.
A Day of Knowledge & Wisdom Our second annual student-led conference this year took us right into the 21st Century, with discussions on selfies & self-image and an interesting look into the Burlesque industry. Students from John Snow, Stephenson and University College did themselves proud in a thought-provoking day of learning.
Sourced primarily from contributions from our alumni, JCR and SCR communities, the fund itself is intended to benefit students engaged in personal development which features a cost to the student which they would otherwise not be able to afford. Examples of these include but are not limited to: volunteering in third world countries; engaging in self-sourced charity work; attending conferences and; attending university level sport, music, art and performance events. Students have the opportunity to apply for funding once a term with the most recent cohort of accepted applications including: volunteering in hospitals in third world countries; attending national conferences and attending university level sporting events. We hope, with the help of our alumni, to extend the fund over the coming months to form a development programme which will help support students’ progress both academically and personally from the moment they enter John Snow College. If you would like more information about the fund or would like to contribute towards the fund’s development then please either email: snow.alumni@durham.ac.uk or visit our donation page at: www.dunelm.org.uk/donations/colleges/johnsnow
Holifest- John Snow’s Festival of Colour In conjunction with Stockton Borough Council and Durham University’s ‘Diversity & Inclusivity Fund’, John Snow JCR held its first ever Holifest party for students in both John Snow & Stephenson Colleges to attend. An afternoon full of food, music, and COLOUR! Only pictures can do this event justice (see Alumni Facebook page for more photos). Snow Day & The Summer/Graduation Ball As always, we closed the year with two of our biggest annual events. Snow Day saw a stage erected in the courtyard for a day full of live music, and closed with a roller disco, while our Arabian Nights-themed summer ball had fireworks, fire breathers and bumper cars for students to enjoy throughout the night.
Above right:: Holifest Below right: Snow Day
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Alumni Your connection with Snow doesn't end when you graduate. In fact, leaving Durham marks the beginning of your lifelong membership of our greater alumni and College community.
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Graduation Congratulations to all our finalists who graduated in June and joined our fantastic Alumni Association. Although the week did provide a few showers, the rain did not deter our students from enjoying themselves and graduating in style. Along with various drinks receptions and leaver’s photos, the week also included the College’s very first Graduation Dinner. Held at the Radisson Blu hotel in Durham the evening was a huge success with speeches from past presidents, entertainment from the DSU Gospel choir and a few impromptu words from our outgoing president Kenya Peters. For photographs of graduation week and of the graduation dinner, please see the back of the newsletter and the alumni 7 Facebook page.
Past & Upcom Annual College Dinner The Annual College Dinner is first and foremost an event which brings together all members of the College community and a few key people who have supported the College over the year. The dinner is a celebration of the success of the College over the year, and also serves as an opportunity to formally thank various people for their efforts and commitment.
This year, attendees included members from our Junior Common Room, Middle Common Room, Senior Common Room, College alumni community, College and University staff, College guests, local dignitaries and honour guest speaker Pro-ViceChancellor for Education, Professor Tom Ward.
College Awards for: THE SCR ENDEAVOUR AWARD Vicky Fox THE DR. JOHN SNOW AWARD Anna Whitmore, JCR Vice-President JOHN LINDLEY MEMORIAL PRIZE Mrs Avril Brown COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARTS Jamie Brewer
COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO INTERNATIONAL DIVERSITY AND CULTURE Jiaojiao Yue COLLEGE AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY WORK Holly Naylor COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO WELFARE Gustavo Carvalho COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO COLLEGE LIFE Olivia Bengey COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO COLLEGE SPIRIT Patrick Black & Jessica Campbell COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO COLLEGE SPORT Petra Zilincanova COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO COLLEGE SPORT Amrik Virdi COLLEGE AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO COLLEGE SPORT Women’s Basketball Team HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP (presented by JCR President Kenya Peters) Lisa Tam, Aoife Ni Chaoilte & Katie Braham 8
ming Events JSBC Alumni Durham Regatta Dinner For the first time this year, the John Snow Alumni Association has teamed up with the John Snow Boat Club to host a reunion all about boats. Held during this year’s Durham Regatta, past, present and future JSBC members met for a wonderful evening meal at the Cellar Door. Along with talk about rudders, oars, odd boating traditions and many thank you speeches, the evening finished, as all good Durham evenings do, with a much anticipated Bailey bar crawl. It was lovely to see alumni return back to Durham to support our teams on the river and to celebrate their continual involvement in the Alumni Association and boat club.
John Snow Alumni at Shakespeare’s Globe After the great success of our 'After Hours' event at The Counting House in February, John Snow College will be hosting an 'After Hours' summer soiree at The Swan at Shakespeare's Globe', on Friday 12 August 2016 from 7.45pm. The event is now unfortunately ‘sold out’, but you can still check out our With stunning views of summertime John Snow at Shakespeare's Globe Facebook event and alumni website London, the River Thames (and of for event information, updates and course the Globe itself) this see who's coming list. promises to be a fantastic evening and another great opportunity for alumni to reunite with old friends, get to know the new JCR President, ask College staff questions about the upcoming relocation and meet other Snow alumni over a summer drink and a Shakespearean sonnet.
For information on future alumni events click here or go to: https://www.dur.ac.uk/johnsnow.college/alumi/events/
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Through knowledge and wisdom strive for the highest
Principal Professor Carolyn Summerbell
Alumni Relations and College Community Assistant Office John Snow College Durham University Stockton-On-Tees TS17 6BH 0191 334 0406
Email: snow.alumni@durham.ac.uk Website: www.dur.ac.uk/johnsnow.college/alumi/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/johnsnow.alumni?fref=ts Twitter: www.twitter.com/AlumniJohnSnow 10