VMA News 2013

Va n M i l d e r t A s s o c i a t i o n

NEWS Blair Mowat The BAFTA Nominated Composer

Meet the Principal Introducing Professor David Harper

Mildert’s Researchers Exploring the work of Van Mildert’s MCR

Reporting for the News at Ten Giving students work experience opportunities

Welcome to VMA News 2013 VMA Chair David Ellery reflects on the last 12 months and looks ahead to 2015 It feels good to be writing ‘The View From The Chair’ once again, as we continue the publication of VMA News in line with the unanimous view expressed by Members at last year's AGM.

planning meeting in January your Committee re-affirmed this. Hence, I am pleased to report that I am well-advanced in negotiating such an event in Paris at a prestigious venue.

I am also in discussion with my Foreign Office colleagues and friends at the British Embassy there (the Residence is a It has been another year of notable achievement for the jewel in the FCO estate's crown) to explore the scope for the Association and its Members. Amongst the many highlights Embassy to add lustre to the event; exchanges have been were the crucial efforts of VMA members in the conception promising. More information will follow in due course as and organisation of two Van Mildert College Trust events: details firm up. the reception in September at The Caledonian Club in Belgravia to celebrate the outstanding achievements of In stark contrast to the above, it is with great sadness that I Mark Spofforth, elected President of the Institute of reflect on the death earlier this year of Jean Bradshaw, the Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, and wife of Arnold Bradshaw, Mildert's first Senior Tutor and Professor Brian Tanner, who received a Queen's Award Paul Kent's successor as Master. Arnold and Jean were the only academic so to do last year; and then in November married for some 60 years. I have very fond memories of the excellent Annual Lecture delivered by Dame Uta Frith Jean: of her wonderful warmth and unfailing enthusiasm for to some 350 attendees in the Ann Dobson Hall in College. the Association and its Members, who came to represent something of a wider family. I, like many others, always felt Continuing the theme of outstanding success: the better for having been with or spoken to Jean. We shall miss Association extends its heartiest congratulations to another her very much, and once again extend our condolences to of its Members, Lord Justice Sir Anthony Hughes, on his Arnold and his immediate family. appointment to the Supreme Court.

The Careers Dialogue in November was a very successful VMA-funded event. Vicky Brown, as College Development Officer, a new post that includes very close working with the VMA, took the lead in its organisation. The morning sessions which covered the drafting of CVs and jobinterview surgeries were rated especially highly. The surgeries I took were great fun - from my perspective at least! The feedback on the event as a whole was positive and gratifying, with some very helpful suggestions for tweaking of the programme to enhance yet further its value.

I am hugely grateful to all those Members in particular who, once more, gave so generously and freely of their time and expertise to support this initiative - so valuable to current members of College who are about to enter the job market.

Without them, it simply would not happen.

A further cause for celebration is the 90th birthday of Dr. Paul Kent, Mildert's second Master. Paul and Rosemary, his wife, retired to Oxford, where they now live. I am delighted that the Association was able to organise a lunch in April, just a week after Paul's birthday, at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, to mark Paul's wonderful milestone.

It has been an aspiration of the Association for a little while now to organise a VMA event on the continent. At its

As for the Association's Reunion Weekend at the end of June, in line with Members' wishes, we are sticking with our tried-and-tested format for the Annual Dinner, as this has served us extremely well: a "sparkling" pre-dinner reception with live music presented by College members, followed by a four-course dinner with wines and concluding with a disco complemented by a bar with a most generous extension of licence. This year we are trialling the opening-up of the Reunion Weekend to nonmembers of the Association by way of whetting their appetite for membership - they'll be able experience something of what they have been missing as nonmembers!

VMA News 2013 In this issue: 02 View from the Chair David Ellery reviews the VMA 04 Five minutes with Prof Dave Harper Introducing Mildert’s Principal 05 Members’ News An update from Year Reps and Honouring Mildertians

2015 sees College's Golden Jubilee. The Association will, of course, look to make an enthusiastic and appropriate contribution to events and initiatives linked to it. Many members will remember that the Association's Annual Dinner was the keystone of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of College: a glittering occasion which attracted the highest turn-out of alumni in the College's history. Indeed, the turn-out exceeded that enjoyed by a college close to Mildert when it celebrated its 100th (sic) anniversary - an achievement which did not go unnoticed by the Vice-Chancellor, as colleagues will recall! At the AGM last year the Membership elected Committee members for three years to provide for continuity in the planning and implementation of Association activity in the run-up to 2015.

06 The Boy Next Door Uncovering BAFTA Nominated Composer, Blair Mowat

As Chair of the Association I am very pleased to be a member of the Destination 2015 group set up by the Principal to direct and oversee College-wide events and initiatives to mark the Jubilee. At the Association's AGM last year, the Membership unanimously directed the Committee to organise an Annual Dinner in 2015 to celebrate the Jubilee; it was accepted that we might have to move the date of the Annual Reunion Weekend and Dinner were major building work in College to go ahead as planned at the time. We are working with College and Destination 2015 accordingly.

14 Mildert Life Photographs capturing current student activities

So, as you can see, it has been a very busy year and exciting times are in prospect. The Association goes from strength to strength. Its reputation for a clear strategic vision, innovation and enterprise remains undimmed. I wish to thank all members of your Committee and College for all their efforts in contributing to the success of the Association and for their support of me personally as Chair of this outstanding Association. It is an honour and a privilege for me to serve in this way.

22 Celebrating and discovering Bishop Van Mildert Paul Regan and Sue Trees uncover more about our college’s namesake

I look forward very much to greeting many of you at the Reunion Weekend at the end of June.

27 VMA Reunion Booking Form Book now for the reunion weekend and get in touch with VMA News

David

08 Research has a high impact on the Hill Martin Brader meets the Van Mildert Scholars 11 News from the Middle and Senior Common Rooms Highlights from recent MCR and SCR activities 12 The Principal’s Piece David Harper takes a look at the College’s conundrums 13 A spring clean for Mildert’s greatest icon Van Mildert goes green (and clear blue)

16 Globe Trotting Mildertians Meet the Travel Bursary Recipients of 2012 18 A foot in the door How alumni are supporting career initiatives in College 20 Junior Common Room Round-Up JCR President Ali Adams brings you the latest news

24 Alumni Events and Activities Dates for your diaries 25 VMA AGM Minutes from the VMA AGM 2012

From fossils to freshers: Victoria Ridley has five minutes with Professor David Harper Eighteen months ago a new chapter of Van Mildert College’s life was opened.

Four weeks into term, the 46th cohort of freshers was no longer the newest members of the Mildert community. Prof David Harper and his wife, Maureen, made their way from Denmark to Durham and were welcomed into the Van Mildert family as Dave took over the helm of the College.

The previous summer Mildertians had bid farewell to the seventh master, Prof Patrick O’Meara, and several other colleges from across the Hill and the Bailey had seen their heads of house depart. College communities had watched in anticipation as a large recruitment campaign got underway, so what attracted Dave to Van Mildert?

‘The ethos of the College greatly appealed’, says Dave. ‘The Van Mildert community is one that is socially responsible; the range of outreach activities undertaken by College members is remarkable, and, in fact, our volunteering programmes are University-leading.’ This sentiment was only strengthened by Dave and Maureen’s recent attendance at the Young Person’s Project speech evening, a student-led project that has been running in Van Mildert for 12 years, bringing young people from Sunderland and Hartlepool into Mildert for a fiveday residential experience.

academic communities,’ says Dave. Van Mildert is doing well to encourage this: the Middle Common Room is flourishing (see page 11), there are regular lectures open to all members of the College, and Van Mildert hosts several visiting fellows each year. There are of course improvements to be made, and Dave has ambitions to further develop the Mildert community.

The setting of Van Mildert also played a part: ‘The lake and grounds are great open spaces, both physically and philosophically, allowing a space for intellectual thought.’ With his office at the top of the Main Building, Dave gets a good view of Mildert’s assets on a daily basis and is pleased at the recent re-generation of the Lake (see page 13).

Mildertians through schemes such as the careers workshops, internship schemes and travel bursaries (see pages 16-19).

Stepping into the role of principal as the university and the wider highereducation sector is undergoing rapid changes brings its challenges, but also plenty of opportunities.

‘Colleges are being encouraged to become much more scholarly and

‘Our communication channels are undergoing some revitalisation’ says Dave, and the College is keen to develop further relationships with alumni. ‘The

current College members are keen to draw upon the support and expertise of

These opportunities give our students vital access to skills and experiences, which are increasingly important in today’s graduate marketplace. We really value the support and interest that you all continue to show towards Van Mildert.’

The current College members are keen to draw upon the On paper, like other college heads, Dave only spends 50% of his time on his duties as principal, so you will also find him in the Department of Earth Sciences, where he holds a professorship. Before arriving in

Durham, Dave spent 13 years as Professor of Palaeontology at the University of Copenhagen and was Head of Geology at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

Put very simply, Dave’s research concentrates on exploring the very earliest forms of animal life on Earth during the Cambrian explosion some 530 million years ago. Dave’s work, along with other colleagues, seeks to explore how climatic and environmental changes affected the distribution and development of the first animal life on planet Earth, and he is a leading expert on fossil brachiopods and numerical methods in palaeontology. Much of Dave’s work is field-based, and in recent years one of his greatest highlights has been time spent in Greenland, an area to which he hopes to return.

To keep up to date and in touch with Dave’s activities both within Van Mildert and academically, alumni are invited to follow him on Twitter @ VM_Principal and Dave and Maureen look forward to meeting you all.

You can watch Dave’s inaugural lecture at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_XSfAORWYg

Honouring Mildertians 2012 was a winning year

Keeping in touch and sharing your news: a message from your year reps

New Year Honours 2013 went to: Vice Admiral Charles Johnstone-Burt (Anthropology & Psychology, 1980) was made a Companion of the Order of The Bath (Military Division) Professor Francis Kelley (Mathematics, 1971) was awarded a CBE for Services to Mathematical Sciences Paul Newman (History, 1978) was given an OBE for Services to Voluntary Organisations Colonel Matthew Porter (Biological Sciences, 1989) was awarded a CBE Military Division

From the day you arrived as a fresher, you will always be a Mildertian and part of the Van Mildert family. We’d like to stay in touch with you, to hear about your news and achievements, to welcome you back to College, and to arrange gatherings in locations throughout the world.

Please do keep Van Mildert up to date with your current address, so that you are notified of events taking place in your local area: we’re growing and developing our network of informal get-togethers.

In the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2012: Professor Peter Sharp (Physics, 1969) was awarded an OBE

And in the New Year Honours 2012: Ralph Allowood (Music, 1972) was recognised with an MBE and Ian Samuel (Geography, 1966) with an OBE

Much of our communication is now done electronically, so if you’ve not been receiving emails, it’s likely we’ve not got your current email address. Please contact vm.development@durham.ac.uk with your current details to ensure that you stay part of the Van Mildert community.

Mildertians played a key role in making the London Olympic and Paralympic Games such a success. Post holders included:

Many of you may have a hazy memory and recall that in one of your very last JCR meetings at College, you elected a Van Mildert Association year rep. Each year, these friends have written to you to help keep the Mildert spirit alive.

Baroness Kay Morgan (1980) Board Member, Olympic Delivery Authority Andrew Ridley (2004) Games Operations, LOCOG Mark Bryan (1999) Head of the Governance, ODA Jen Farnell (2007) BBC Production Assistant And of course, Jonathan Edwards – Board Member and BBC Presenter

Last year, we missed a year, and this year we’ve changed the system, to save on costs as ‘snail mail’ gets ever more expensive. To read your year rep’s message and to share your news take a look at www.durham.ac.uk/vanmildert.association/membersnewsnew

There were also countless Mildertian Games Makers and no doubt many others, not named above. Congratulations to you all!

If you do not have access to the website please contact the Van Mildert Development Officer on 0191 334 7163.

From the boy next door to BAFTA Award nominee: Victoria Ridley catches up with Blair Mowat He wrote the music for his first Durham play, St Cuthbert’s Society’s production of Alice in Wonderland at the end of his first year, and went on to compose the music for over fifteen Durham Student Theatre productions from Dracula to Under Milk Wood. For Van Mildert he composed and performed an original work including adaptations and references to traditional Irish tunes for a special St Patrick’s Day formal as well contributing as a performer to the college’s cabaret. In his third year Blair brought the University Hill Orchestra into Van Mildert for a special concert where he conducted them performing a variety of reorchestrated film music and his own compositions to a large audience in the Ann Dobson hall.

Blair’s time at Van Mildert gave him plenty of opportunities to experiment and create. For the University Hill Orchestra he composed The Radiohead Transcriptions’ based, as you can imagine, on music

by Radiohead. Alongside fellow students, he also adapted and modernised countless versions of Christmas carols for a festive concert and orchestrated The sky darkens, the rain begins to pour, there is a a brilliant medley of classic TV themes. In addition to flash of lightning and then from nowhere Blair appears. all this, during his time at Van Mildert he co-founded We’re outside Hampstead tube station and it is five the Durham Opera Ensemble, a university society that years since we’ve seen one another. We begin to today goes from strength to strength. catch up as we dash and dart to find a place for a coffee. Blair hasn’t changed: he’s chatty, smiley and Blair graduated in June 2007 and went to the full of life and energy.

University of Bristol to study for an MA in Composition for Film and Television, and it wasn’t long before he From day one there was something about Blair. We began to win awards. In March 2008 Blair was were neighbours in our first year at Van Mildert, living awarded a Dewar Art Award and later the same year on the top floor of Deerness block. The building may he was nominated for a Channel Four 4Talent Award have been virtually brand new at that stage, but that in the ‘Production Music’ category, already putting him didn’t stop the sounds of Blair’s piano and mystical amongst the most talented five young people in his Clarsach (a Celtic harp) seeping through the walls. industry.

These melodic noises never bothered me though; sometimes it was the sounds of drama and action and Upon arriving to London Blair scored a vast variety of on other occasions it would be calm and relaxing, but short films including Internet Story which went ‘viral’ nearly always it was a welcome break. getting over a million views online and, The Pub, which has won countless awards including ‘Best Animation’ Blair, as you may have guessed, studied Music whilst at the Los Angeles International Film Festival and at Durham. By the time he arrived at Van Mildert, he Jess//Jim, a film produced by Kevin Spacey for The already knew that his interests lay in composing, Old Vic and made in just 24 hours. having already studied composition under two-time Emmy Award-winning composer Hummie Mann. Blair Like many in the film music industry, Blair has his contributed to all aspects of musical life at both Van sights sets on Hollywood, but getting there takes ‘time Mildert and across the University. ‘There were endless and patience’, he says. However, many onlookers opportunities’, recalls Blair, ‘and the special thing might say that Blair is making rapid and impressive about Durham was the fact that it was all student-led. inroads into this fiercely competitive industry. The The creativity was left to us as undergraduates; there score for his first full-length feature film Electric Man was no-one telling us what to do.’ saw him nominated for a BAFTA New Talent Award in April 2012 and later that year he was nominated for a

Creative Scotland Award for ‘Best New Talent’ in the Scottish arts.

There is certainly no stopping Blair, but he is still as down to earth as ever, despite regularly appearing at international film festivals on the red carpet alongside Blair explained to me, ‘Scoring for any film requires the great, the good and the beautiful. He’s recently me to unearth the director’s true intentions for the film been appointed an associate composer on the and its narrative. Through the music the audience can London Symphony Orchestra’s Soundhub scheme be manipulated and pushed in certain directions to and has just finished the score to a film execadd emphasis to a particular emotion or moment. I’ve produced by Atonement director Joe Wright. Up next taken great care to learn about all aspects of film for Blair though is his first ballet, which he is making, as I believe that in order to successfully composing for The English National Ballet to be subvert a narrative you need to fully understand how premiered at the Wilderness Festival this summer. it’s being told.’

Surely it is only a matter of time before Hollywood For his second feature Blair began work on a beckons. For now though, Blair’s base is in London, Bollywood film. ‘This was something completely which he incidentally shares with a fellow Mildertian, different for me,’ says Blair. To understand the and he has all the gismos and gadgets he needs to sounds and culture of India he was taken to visit compose for film in his home studio. ‘Technology Mumbai, Delhi and Agra. Whilst there he had a plays an ever-increasing role in the work of a film lesson in how to play Sitar, bought some authentic composer’, says Blair.

Indian instruments to take home and was given a tour of Yash Raj studios, where some of the most famous Writing music for film and television is definitely not a Bollywood films have been made. The experience 9-5 job. Losing yourself for days on end in film can only be described as ‘crazy’, states a very narratives and networking may be glamorous but it’s excitable Blair. also hard work, and as a freelancer he always has to be on the lookout for the next commission. ‘There By this point, as the rain continues to run in rivers have been some very late nights’, says Blair. ‘If you’re down the street outside the tightly packed coffee shop scoring a film, sometimes you can’t just stop. You’ve we’ve taken shelter in, those in close proximity are got to keep going, to keep the creativity alive and the giving us glancing looks as they overhear these music flowing. I’m not as much of a night owl as I was famous names, and talk of BAFTAs and all. Blair when I lived at Van Mildert though - I think I continues though, unperturbed. ‘What’s probably practically became nocturnal in my first year!’ more crazy though than my trip to India was that the resulting film, 7 Welcome to London, broke box-office Blair could enthuse forever about his work, but time is records, becoming the most successful British Hindi ticking. Before we go I ask him what his greatest language film of all time. I remember sitting at the ambition is. ‘I’d love to win an Oscar but I’m also a premiere in a 450 seat cinema in London, watching a huge Doctor Who fan’, he exclaims, ‘so my dream job two hour movie packed full of music I had written and would be to write the music for Doctor Who. I tell the it feeling like such an outer body experience. I’m not current show runner Steven Moffat this whenever I sure I’ll ever get used to that sensation!’ see him’. All I can say is watch this space!

Blair Mowat studied BA Music at Van Mildert from 2004-07. To find out more about his work visit www.blairmowat.co.uk

Research has a high impact on the Hill Martin Brader, MCR President and postgraduate student in the Department of Geography, explores the depths of research activities taking place within the MCR With 140 members reading for a range of postgraduate degrees, Van Mildert MCR represents a diverse crosssection of the University’s research interests. The community has expertise in a number of fields, from the deglaciation of Arctic Canada to the comedy of Plautus, providing a varied and engaging environment in which to undertake research as a postgraduate student. This diversity of research interest was recently demonstrated at the first Hill Colleges West Research Forum, held in Van Mildert, with postgraduates from Trevelyan, St. Aidan’s and St. Mary’s colleges also taking part. The event demonstrated to members of the wider community the leading research being undertaken by postgraduates, while also providing an opportunity for research students to network with one another and present their work in a relaxed setting.

Amongst the participants were the three Van Mildert Trust scholars, who each presented their PhD research topics and

Scholar Spotlight Introducing the Van Mildert Trust Scholars Joe Schultz recently started a PhD as a Van Mildert Trust scholar (2012–15), with the support of the Fenham Trust, researching Aram Khachaturian in the Department of Music. Joe has been a member of Van Mildert for five years, undertaking both a BA in Music and an MA in Musicology at Durham University. Joe has a passion for Russian music and hopes to appraise the works of Aram Khachaturian, who has received less focus than other prominent Russian composers, under the supervision of Dr Patrick Zuk. In order to meet his research aims, Joe will need to learn the Russian language and will be spending the second year of his PhD in Moscow, undertaking archival research on key primary sources. As a result of his research, Joe hopes to increase the knowledge of and enthusiasm for Khachaturian’s works, providing one of the first accounts in English of Khachaturian’s development.

findings. Trust scholars, financially supported by Van Mildert College Trust, represent each of the three faculties of the University, again highlighting the breadth of scholarly activity taking place within the College.

Many other postgraduate students presented their research either in the form of a poster or oral presentation, with topics ranging from CO2 sequestration to the works of J G Ballard. In providing a diverse range of interests, the event allowed those attending to learn about topics very different to their own, which is one of the many benefits of our college communities. The impact of postgraduates on the College community is ever increasing, both through the research being undertaken and their enthusiasm for sharing their research findings.

Sören Bock, a chemist from Germany, has taken up a Van Mildert College Trust scholarship (2012–15) researching the production of hydrogen for clean energy.

Sören undertook his undergraduate degree at Chemnitz University of Technology between 2007 and 2012, during which he completed two research internships at Durham University.

Following the completion of his DiplomChemiker, which is the equivalent to a MChem degree, Sören commenced his PhD research under the supervision of Prof Paul Low of the Department of Chemistry. The principal aim of Sören’s PhD research is to investigate photocatalytic water-splitting for hydrogen production, using new dyad-shaped organometallic catalyst systems. Sören has already published articles in scientific journals and plays a key role within Van Mildert Middle Common Room, acting as its Vice President.

Megan Wainwright, the inaugural Van Mildert Trust scholar (2009–12), has been researching how chronic illness is lived with and cared for within a developing country. Megan is originally from Canada and has won several prizes since receiving the scholarship, as well as publishing several research articles. Her research is set within Uruguay, focussing on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is expected to become the third leading cause of death worldwide.

Megan’s research involved 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Uruguay, investigating the experiences and views of patients, family members, health professionals and policymakers. The research draws on a number of methods from sensorial medical anthropology and the political economy of health in order to explore what living with chronic illness is like for patients across the severity and socio-economic spectrum. In doing so, Megan has identified issues in healthcare delivery, which affect the experiences of patients and their families to chronic illness and has therefore suggested routes for improving access to the diagnosis and treatment of COPD. Megan has recently passed her PhD viva and continues to be an active member of the College community.

Research update: Dr Ed Garrett In a previous issue of VMA News (Spring/Summer 2011), I shared my experiences in Chile undertaking fieldwork supported by the Van Mildert Travel Bursary scheme. With my PhD now complete, it seems only appropriate to reflect on my findings and to give an update on my research.

concluded that, while historical records indicate major earthquakes occurred in 1575, 1737, 1837 and 1960, these were of varying magnitude. A longer sedimentary record suggests the largest earthquakes occur with recurrence intervals in the order of 250 years.

My PhD focussed on the largest earthquakes, those that rupture hundreds or thousands of kilometres of faults at subduction zones. I spent three field seasons investigating coastal sites in south central Chile, looking for sedimentary evidence that might clarify the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes and tsunamis in this location.

While answering many of the questions that I had originally set out to resolve, my research has also produced a range of new areas for further research. I am continuing my work on the sedimentary evidence for Chilean earthquakes through a postdoctoral position at Northumbria University alongside former Durham PhD student Emma Watcham. Concurrently, I have swapped hemispheres with a Durham-based project applying the same methodology in the search for evidence for earthquake complexity and subduction zone segmentation in Alaska.

Following each field season, I spent many weeks in the laboratory, looking at diatoms, unicellular algae that can provide information on changes in sea level, including those caused by earthquakes. I completed my thesis, titled Biostratigraphic constraints on megathrust earthquake deformation history in south central Chile in December 2012. My research

Ed’s full thesis can be read at: http:// etheses.dur.ac.uk/6972/

News from the common rooms An update from Martin Brader, President of Van Mildert Middle Common Room Over the course of the past year, the MCR has continued to flourish through a series of events and new initiatives. Common room members continue to have an active social calendar, both through events of our own and those held jointly with the JCR and SCR, as well as an increasing number of intercollegiate events. This year, the MCR has been invited to inter-MCR formals at Collingwood, Trevelyan, Castle, Hatfield and St John’s, which provide a fantastic opportunity for our members to get to know postgraduates in other colleges within the University. Van Mildert will be holding our own inter-MCR formal in May, with an anticipated 200 postgraduates from across the University in attendance.

Alongside these social activities, the MCR continues to develop its series of academic events, principally through the termly speaking evenings, as well as the newly initiated Hill Colleges West Research Forum. The past year has also seen an increase in the number of full-time MCR members, as well as a large intake of new part-time and distance-learning students studying a range of subjects. As such, the MCR continues to grow and maintains an active role within College and the wider University.

Newly elected Senior Common Room President, Dr Victoria Brown shares stories from the SCR You may remember the SCR from your time at Van Mildert as the group of tutors, staff and friends of the College who sit on the high table at formal dinners and have the privilege of being the only group of people permitted to venture beyond the ‘No entry’ sign on the doors at the end of the Ann Dobson Hall. Well, while the no entry signs are now a thing of the past, we do still frequent high table, and I am pleased to report that our numbers are on the up!

The SCR is indeed in a phase of transition as we address some key issues relating to our membership, governance and events programme. However, we remain an active presence within the College and have recently enjoyed a wide range of events including formal dinners, student productions, and talks, all of which were well supported.

Ahead of the 50th Anniversary of Van Mildert College in 2015, the Easter Term 2013 sees the start of the SCR Public Lecture series. Prof Mike Bentley fascinated an audience of 90 people in the Ustinov Room for our first lecture which was entitled The Antarctic Ice Sheet and Climate Change. We are delighted that Prof Chris Higgins, the Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, has agreed to present our next lecture. He will be speaking about Stem cells research – science, medicine and ethics.

Alumni are always very welcome at SCR events and we would be delighted to hear from you if you wish to become a member. Do get in touch or visit our website for further information: www.durham.ac.uk/vm.scr

The Principal’s piece Professor David Harper looks back at his first year as Principal of Van Mildert College I have been in post only 17 months, sharing this position with a professorship in Palaeontology in Earth Sciences and a role as Deputy Head of Colleges for Research and Scholarly Activities. My short tenure has coincided with widespread changes in the funding regime for the English universities and some fundamental reviews of the way the University is governed and structured. The University is moving forward rapidly to fulfil a destiny as a world top-50 university by 2020, strengthening its position at home and abroad. Many strategic changes are taking place in the education and research environment to achieve this ambition. The colleges have not been immune from these changes. Set on a path towards becoming more scholarly communities, the colleges are positioned to support much more forcefully the University’s strategic goals in the future, particularly in the areas of research and teaching.

Against this background of flux, the position of Principal of Van Mildert College remains a very great privilege, sometimes a difficult journey, but always a rewarding one.

I can report that Van Mildert has continued to distinguish itself on the basis of its inclusive community

(involving over 8,000 alumni), the high frequency and volume of College events and the number and range of outreach and volunteering projects, extravagantly illustrating the college motto of ‘Sic vos non vobis’. In all, six outreach projects are well established with a possible seventh on the way and at least two of the projects have been greatly enhanced by a generous donation to purchase a minibus. The estate has been dramatically improved with a complete and much-needed refurbishment of Wear Block together with more minor renovations in a few of the other blocks. Solar panels cover the south-facing roof of Tunstall Block as part of our drive towards reliance on more sustainable energy sources, and the lake is again characterised by large expanses of clear blue water and swimming waterfowl!

This year was a turning point in our research and scholarly activities in College. There were many more academic events hosted and supported by the SCR (both lectures and dinnerspeaking events), the MCR (under the leadership of Martin Brader) organised together with colleagues in St Aidan’s, St Mary’s and Trevelyan colleges the first ever Hill Colleges West Research Forum, and my own inaugural lecture

on ‘The Dawn of Animal Ecosystems’ attracted an audience of about 60 in the Ustinov Room. College now has a formal partnership with the Climate Impact Research Centre (CIRC: see www.durham.ac.uk/circ and early in the Easter Term, its director, Prof Mike Bentley, will lecture in College on his exciting discoveries in Antarctica. In mid May the first ever Bishop Van Mildert Lecture will be held in College and in early June we host a lecture by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Chris Higgins, which promises to be both controversial and entertaining.

But despite these obvious, high levels of activities, the colleges have not been immune from accountability through audit and evidence trails. Daniel Kehlman’s fascinating book Measuring the World drew together two great scientists, the physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss and the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, both quantifying aspects of the world in their different ways.

Universities have their own metrics.

We must now report, quantitatively, on a range of activities from utility use and recycling to the numbers of academic events and visitors to College, and, more recently and significantly, the numbers of donors and size of donations.

At a pivotal moment in The Ring Cycle, Wotan, disguised as the Wanderer, fights Siegfried. His spear is smashed and with the words ‘Zieh hin! Ich kann dich nicht halten’, a new world order is created and a brash but heroic Siegfried strides off to rescue Brünnhilde from the Ring of Fire. Less dramatic, but equally significant for the university landscape, are the changes in funding mechanisms now in progress. To quote Sir Keith O’Nions, Rector of Imperial College, another geologist: ‘With radical changes to the way in which higher education is funded, reducing dramatically the amount of support the universities receive from government, we need the right road map and

critically the right fuel.’ If we are to maintain our academic excellence and student experience at Van Mildert we must identify and explore new sources of funding. The Van Mildert Trust is more than equal to the challenge and targets are in place to co-fund an Institute of Advanced Study populated by up to six PhD scholars, complementing the two PhD scholarships the Trust currently funds.

Finally, in just over a year and half all the Van Mildert communities will celebrate 50 years of College. In the words of the chair of the Destination 2015 Working Group, Van Mildert’s first fellow, Prof Brian Tanner, ‘the

celebration should go viral’ as all the various common rooms, clubs, committees and societies gather their own alumni from down the years. The VMA has a key role to play in galvanising its membership, particularly the year representatives to make this an unforgettable celebration of a really great college. I have started a series of informal, after-work meetings with alumni, advertised through Newswire and in the Mildert Messenger. I hope to meet as many of you as possible, if not at the College reunion, in hostelries across the country and, if possible, beyond.

Mildert’s lake gets a spring clean Van Mildert’s lake is one of the College’s great assets.

Many of you may recall that a Save the Lake campaign was launched back in 2000 by the then Presidents of the Senior and Middle Common Rooms, along with support from Principal George Patterson. The appeal raised over £3000 and in 2003 the lake was given its first real makeover since 1965.

Despite the lake clearance, without annual maintenance (which various College communities have pressed for during the intervening period), the lake had once again become overcome with vegetation. This was throttling its biodiversity and threatening to turn one of the most visually appealing areas of the College into an overgrown eyesore.

Ian Jackson, Assistant Operations Manager and Van Mildert College’s Environment Officer, is now once again leading the efforts to improve the lake. He sees the lake the largest body of water managed by Durham University as a vastly under-appreciated and under-used resource, as well as a neglected icon of the College. Part of the plan for the redevelopment of the lake is to make it safe and accessible, so that it can be used as an educational tool, as well as a welcoming focal point of the College community.

In recent months footpaths around the lake have been cleared, the wetland at the north end of the lake has been thinned, and, most dramatically of all, the elodea (the pervasive weed clogging up the surface of the lake) has been aggressively cleared. This last exercise involved hiring a floating steel-toothed machine that doubled as lunch-time entertainment for students as it ploughed around the lake!

The result was remarkable, leaving the lake in a state previously unseen by any current students and many staff members. The water is now crystal clear and deeper than before due to the displaced silt, and seven skips overflowing with the weeds dredged out of the lake were taken away.

There were a few surprises as the lake underwent its first spring clean in several years. A terrapin was discovered, as well as goldfish, presumably past pets of students optimistically released into the lake to fend for themselves – anyone who knows anything about these please get in touch! As well as ducks, and the not so popular heron, there are recent but as yet unconfirmed reports that an otter has also taken up residence in Mildert’s wetland home.

With the lake now looking much better, the whole college community, with support from the University, is putting plans together to ensure that the Lake stays the great biodiverse resource that it should be.

Mildert Today Capturing moments of student life

Clockwise from left: Students play a game of skittles outside Derwent; JCR Charity Fashion Show; MCR Social Gathering; MCR trip to Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland; Student in the Van Mildert College Library; Van Mildert Cheerleading Team; JCR Members get ‘gunged’ on Mildert Day. Centre: Van Mildert Men’s Rowing Crew

Globe Trotting Mildertians Each year, Van Mildert awards a number of travel bursaries to current students to enable them to participate in overseas travel. Kate Neilan reviews the reports of two recent recipients.

Ruby Stokes first heard about Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) in 2010 during her first year at Van Mildert, when she applied for the Durham Universities Charities Kommittee (DUCK, formerly RAG) SCUBA diving expedition to the Philippines. This expedition offered Ruby the chance to get involved with a worthwhile conservation charity and also learn new skills in a very different environment. Ruby is extremely grateful for the bursary she received from Van Mildert, with which she bought almost all of her essential dive gear.

‘Reality didn’t hit till the evening I arrived at base camp,’ says Ruby. ‘Unspeakably tired, sweaty and dirty, we were given a tour of the camp and a breakdown of day-to-day life: chores, lectures, exams and breakfast at six in the morning! As I clambered into my bamboo bunk covered with a holey mosquito net, sweltering in the humidity and cursing the broken fan, I wondered what on earth had I got myself into? After tossing and turning for what felt like an age, I eventually fell into a restful sleep. I awoke to the sound of cocks crowing and the harsh sound of the breakfast bell. I was covered in ants but, thankfully, free of mosquito bites. The exhaustion of the previous evening had been replaced with anticipation and once again excitement: I had arrived.

The first time I strapped on a SCUBA tank and breathed underwater I was a little nervous but soon it became my third lung. We dived twice a day, and though we all learnt our way around the reef, we never lost our amazement at the diversity of the species we saw. Alongside our SCUBA diving training, we embarked on the CCC Marine Life Science

Programme, taught in a makeshift classroom by science officers onsite. It is designed to educate volunteers on the marine species they can expect to encounter whilst in the Philippines so that they can identify and survey the protected species. We had to learn by name, and sometimes in Latin, over 40 species of invertebrates, 60+ corals and 100+ fish, which we were then tested on at camp and underwater.

Once we had passed our exams we practised underwater techniques in order to carry out the actual surveys. The information collected was then analysed by the science officers, with the ultimate aim of setting up more Marine Protected Areas within the Philippines.

CCC also recognises that they have a responsibility to the local community. Through school programmes, they aim to educate local people about more sustainable ways of fishing so that both human and marine populations can thrive. During my time in the Philippines we were able to take part in the Liloan Environmental Awareness Fiesta. We put on the famous CCC puppet show, took part in a street and sea clean-up, spoke to local people and managed several stalls aimed at the local children. It was a fantastic opportunity to see the real impact that Coral Cay are making through education and volunteering.

I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to go on this expedition. Not only did I learn to SCUBA dive and work for a brilliant conservation charity, I was forced out of my comfort zone and I realised that I was capable of more than I had ever thought. I have come into my final year with a new work ethic, a better idea of my aims for the future and more confidence in myself and my abilities.’

Last summer, Adam Moss and Harry Inman also headed to South East Asia, to participate in the DUCK Cambodia Expedition.

‘When we wrote our applications, the plan was to visit a rural school in the northern town of Samroang.

However, a few weeks before we departed, everything changed when the Cambodian Government closed all schools over the fear that a dangerous disease was spreading amongst the nation’s children. Our expedition was in jeopardy, but we found an orphanage in Battambang that needed our help. We spent five weeks in Cambodia: three at the project and two travelling around the country, staying in Bangkok at the end of the trip for three days.

After flying into Thailand for a night, we travelled across the border into Cambodia and spent the first few days visiting the extraordinary temples of Angkor Wat. We used buses to travel in Cambodia since the train lines had been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

This was how we reached the orphanage in Battambang and the volunteer house that we were to stay in.

It was soon down to work at the orphanage and the first task was cleaning. We scrubbed walls, brushed floors and poked cockroaches out of the beds! Then, in no time at all, we had all four walls painted with colourful animal motifs and a dingy green room was transformed into a bright, clean dorm fit for the young boys.

In our second week we taught 4-7 year olds, who were really fun to play with! We organised many activities - treasure hunts, dance lessons, jewellery making, sporting activities, jigsaw making and painting. For our final week we worked with the 1318 year olds, who were amazing. They wanted to take in as much English as possible. Some were ready to go to university, but couldn’t find the sponsors needed to study medicine, finance and other courses. All the children were a pleasure to teach, brimming with enthusiasm and joy. It was easy to forget that these children had no parents.

After our project, we took to the road again, visiting the beautiful beach town of Sihanoukeville, the bustling capital Phnom Penh, and finally back into Thailand to Bangkok. Whilst in the Cambodian capital we spent a day at the Choeung Ek genocidal museum, known as the Killing Fields, and also the Security Prison 21. Few of us had much knowledge of what went on in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge. It was emotional, but we felt that visiting such sites helped us understand an important part of Cambodia's history.

All expedition members agreed that it was a lifechanging experience. The skills that we learnt while working with each other were tremendous. By putting ourselves out of our comfort zones we had to adapt to ever-changing situations, both inside and outside of the classroom. At Adam's interview for an internship with Ernst and Young, conversation turned to Cambodia. By displaying his enthusiasm and explaining how he developed personally, they took him on board, and he now has a summer internship for this year. The expedition affected us so much that we both want to live there in the future, work with local people, and Harry will be returning this year as he is leading the DUCK expedition to Cambodia.

We’d like to thank Van Mildert College, and those who contributed to the bursary funds, as they helped us on our way to having the time of our lives.’

A foot in the door: how alumni can support student development Jenny Gray (1979-82) is a Senior Producer at ITV News and reflects on how alumni can offer current students that vital opportunity For those of us who were students at Van Mildert some years ago, where long summer holidays were spent interrailing around Europe or working in a bar, it seems strange to hear students today discussing the fierce competition for university holiday work placements and internships.

For many these days, securing such a placement is an essential first step to getting into the job market.

Applications are time-consuming and many are rejected.

For someone just emerging from student life, these rejections can be disheartening and, in some cases, lifechanging experiences. It all seems a little unfair so early on in their careers.

A single day's work experience with a reputable employer can make a huge difference to a student's job prospects - not just because they can include it on their CV, but because of the experience and confidence they gain, the contacts they make, and the opportunities it provides. Employers are

usually more than willing to help - they get a bright, motivated student and an extra pair of hands for a day at no cost.

The annual Van Mildert Careers Workshop run in conjunction with the Van Mildert Association has begun an initiative to help Van Mildert College students launch their careers by offering current students the opportunity of a day's work experience with a Van Mildert alumnus. Last year, after interviewing many eager students during the Careers Workshop Day, I selected James Crosland-Mills, who spent two days working with me.

This year, I have offered two work placements of one day each. I again interviewed and selected applicants at the Careers Workshop in November 2012 and look forward to the two students joining me. I’d encourage you, wherever you are working, in whatever field, to consider offering a work experience placement.

Alumni Career Initiatives go from strength to strength report Van Mildert Senior Tutors, Dr Karen Wesson and Petra Points Following their involvement in the annual Career Workshop Days, which provide current students the opportunity to have mock interviews, their CVs checked and the chance to quiz alumni about their careers, Dr Kate Lewthwaite (199295) and Superintendent Dr Bill Dutton have both offered our students unrivalled opportunities for further experience.

open to Van Mildert students from all disciplines. Working in project areas including community engagement, volunteering, business continuity/emergency planning, ICT, project management, mathematical modelling and cost-benefit analysis, students will get a unique opportunity to gain realworld work experience. Bill recently gave a presentation to interested students in college and the Like Jenny Gray, Kate, who works application and selection process is for the Woodland Trust charity, has on-going. Look out for further offered a one-day work placement to updates and reports in future a current student, while communications!

Superintendent Bill Dutton of Durham Constabulary has We’re very grateful to members of established an internship project the Van Mildert Association who

make possible these opportunities by providing financial support to the careers events in college, and helping to pay for the travel and accommodation costs of students who secure work placement opportunities. Finally, these events would not be possible without all of the alumni who have generously given up their time and returned to college. If you’d like to get involved in future workshop events, offer work experience placements, or be a career mentor to current students, please get in touch with the Van Mildert Development Officer by contacting vm.development@durham.ac.uk

James Crosland-Mills reports for ITN News at Ten When I received another e-mail about the Careers Workshop back in November 2011, I was ready to send it to the recycle bin, as I thought it would be barely relevant to me. However, deciding to be less naïve, I opened it up and found details of an exciting work experience opportunity. Alumna Jenny Gray, a Senior Producer with ITV News, was offering the opportunity to ‘win’ a day of work experience. Despite studying Zoology, I was interested in following a career in television production, so I entered, prepared for my interview, and was later delighted to find out that I’d been selected.

Jenny arranged for me to shadow her for a news piece on the controversial High Speed 2 rail line. On the 7th January 2012 I met Jenny and ITN correspondent, Daisy McAndrew, at Euston Station where an arranged interview with a representative of the Adam Smith Institute was to take place. Our plan was to film the interview and then hop on the train up to Coventry.

However, just before we were about to board, one of the senior managers called Jenny and decided to ‘bump’ the story for the day (i.e. discontinue with the story as other, more important news had arisen).

Birmingham New Street Station to record some voxpopinterviews to see what some of the public had to say on the matter.

We ended the day in the back of the small news van editing the programme together. The final edit was sent to the News Desk 2 hours before it was to be played on the News at 10’programme on ITV. Being able to witness the process from start to finish in one day was definitely an unforgettable experience.

Having never experienced a real interview before, I was nervous to enter the competition for the work experience, but looking back I am so pleased that I bit the bullet and went for it. I would encourage anyone to do the same and make the most of the opportunities that Van Mildert has to offer (and not just throw the emails into the recycle bin!).

I cannot thank Jenny enough for giving up her time to grant me this rare insight into her job in television news production. I would also like to thank the Van Mildert Association and college for arranging the careers presentations and workshops.

Much to my appreciation, Jenny offered to take me back to the ITN Centre for the rest of the day. I assisted numerous correspondents by arranging interviews, locations and suggesting ideas for cut-away shots for their news pieces. One story that I was heavily involved with was the Scottish Referendum occurring at the time. Towards the end of the day, Jenny received another phone call explaining that an important step in the decision to go ahead with High Speed 2 Railway was taking place that evening. Jenny and Daisy were then asked to re-shoot the news piece and I was offered the opportunity to join them again the following day.

A bit of ‘déjà vu’ and we were back at Euston Station the following morning, and by 10am we had finished the interview and quickly boarded the train to Coventry. We met another cameraman and drove to a farm that will be bisected by the new HS2 railway. The landowner explained in the interview his views against the new transport plans.

We then carried on driving to a whistle factory in Birmingham to interview its owner, who was pro-HS2.

It was an intensive experience as the machinery boomed and clanged over the interview, during which I was given tips on lighting whilst making notes on the owner’s answers for Daisy to refer to later. He then kindly gave us a whistle each as we left for

Photo HS2 Ltd from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ uknews/road-and-rail-transport/9830965/HS2-GeorgeOsborne-hails-engine-of-growth-for-north-as-high-speedrail-route-disclosed.html

Junior Common Room Round-Up Alistair Adams, JCR President, looks back at the last 12 months Put quite simply, Van Mildert has the most active JCR in Durham. We put on the largest and most frequent events, have the greatest opportunities for getting involved, have one of the best welfare provisions in the University, and some of the best facilities for students to make the most of their time in Durham. Here’s a snapshot of some of our latest activities.

Mildert Sports As you know, college sport is one of the opportunities that really makes Durham special. In Mildert, we have always had above average successes, and last year saw the men’s B football team achieve promotion; table topping results for the basketball teams; and a nearperfect campaign for the men’s rugby team, who beat St Cuthbert’s for the first time in a number of years, resulting in a second place position in the Premiership, and ultimately being awarded Mildert’s Team of the Year. This year has had its ups and downs, but we are looking forward to seeing how the men’s A football team progress in the Semi-Finals of the Floodlit Cup in the coming weeks, and special mentions must also go to mixed lacrosse and the women’s badminton and netball teams for their successes.

Mildert Events Our events calendar has been as packed as ever. The highlight was (of course) the Summer Ball, which featured live music acts, including The Subways and Danny Byrd in the Ann Dobson Hall. With Tees Lawn out of action last year due to the refurbishment of Wear

Block, credit is due to the organisers of Jam by the Lake and Mildert Day, who overcame this problem and made these iconic events as successful as ever. This year has already created some amazing memories. We have seen the now annual charity fashion show raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support and County Durham Community Foundation and our musical production this year was Cabaret. We’ve hosted two new events this during Epiphany Term ‘Mildert’s Got Talent’ (in aid of Van Mildert Carers’ Respite outreach project) and Mardi Gras, an informal ball.

JCR Governance This is perhaps the section you want to hear least about, but it is an area of great importance. As some of you will know, we became formally aligned with the University a couple of years ago as a Durham Students Organisation (DSO). Over the two-year trial period we have benefitted in a number of ways, but most importantly we have seen a huge benefit from the support received from the University’s service departments, notably with help from the Finance division, legal support and insurance. This year the JCR voted in a referendum to maintain our position as a DSO for the next few years, instead of registering as an independent charity with the Charities Commission. The other significant change that has come this year is the creation of the ‘Steering Committee’ which has been implemented to ensure that JCR motions are reviewed and given the scrutiny they need. Finally, on a jovial note, the JCR elected to form ‘Puppy Committee’, a stress-less initiative created to provide puppies for students during exams!

Mildert reaches Out Last year we saw the creation of ‘Carers’ Respite Committee’, a group of volunteers who go out and provide respite to the families of disabled young people. This project has grown in its scope as well as improving the quality of services it provides. The College has also acquired a minibus to transport the volunteers of this project, and on behalf of the JCR I wish to express my thanks to the kind donor for this vehicle. Finally, as a JCR we have increased our support for outreach projects by creating an Outreach Officer on the JCR Executive Committee to represent and provide oversight on their activities. We are hoping that this will cement Mildert’s position as the ‘Outreach College’, and help us develop new community projects in the future. Sic vos non vobis!

The burning issues of 2013 With the introduction of pre-application open days and compulsory longer lets, the days of post-application open days are numbered. These Open Days, which many of you will remember, really allow our current students to sell the College to prospective students by enabling them to stay a night in college and sample Mildert life. Selling the Van Mildert spirit on two pages in a prospectus or on a website will never be the same as spending time with us, so I believe that the JCR needs to lobby to keep these days over the coming years.

Secondly, the introduction of £9,000 fees has had a dramatic effect on University life this year. The additional expense may potentially affect a candidate’s decision to come to University, and their academic expectations as a result. It’s hard to say how this has changed student life tangibly, but students are rightly or wrongly expecting more from their departments and colleges. The JCRs must continually up their game to provide a better student experience for less money, and to support our students with academic representation from the Durham Student Union.

As you will remember, the JCR is more than anything a platform for students to make the most of their time in Durham: to do the things they love, to develop the experience for their fellow students, or simply to attend and enjoy all the social goings on within the College. There are challenges ahead, but I really do believe that as a JCR we aid the student experience and provide opportunities for personal development that really contribute towards the success of our students in the future. Mildert has certainly changed me!

For the latest news from the JCR visit www.mildert.co.uk external

Who was Van Mildert?

Dr Sue Trees explores the life of William Van Mildert

Born in 1765, William Van Mildert was the third son of Cornelius, a distiller, and Martha, who lived and worked in south London. William’s father was of Dutch descent and records show that his grandfather emigrated from Holland in the 17th century. The young William was schooled at St Saviour’s School in Southwark, where he proved to be a very able pupil.

Although Cornelius was keen that William went into a trade apprenticeship, William chose to continue his studies and gained a place at Merchant Taylor’s School. At 19, William went up to Queen’s College, Oxford, where he studied for a Bachelor’s degree at a time when undergraduates were left very much to their own devices and the degree as such was a mixture of various disciplines including classics, logic and theology. William, however, was studious and particularly interested in theology and poetry, the latter he both read and wrote.

William graduated from Oxford in 1787 and then sought holy orders, which, at that time, was no easy matter, as theological training was piecemeal at best. In 1788 William was ordained deacon on nomination to the curacy of a small parish near Oxford, and the following year he moved to a parish in Kent. Between 1790 and 1795 William was the assistant curate at Witham in Essex. It was here he met Jane, who was to be his wife for over 40 years.

Over the coming years William Van Mildert served several parishes and his reputation as theologian and preacher grew. Indeed, his sermons were highly regarded and many were published for public distribution. Following his appointments as Preacher of Lincoln’s Inn, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University and Bishop of Llandaff in 1819, Van Mildert was installed as Bishop of Durham in 1826, a post he held for ten years.

During his tenure, not only did Van Mildert challenge many of the political and ecclesiastical questions of the day, but he was also a leading figure in the founding of the University of Durham.

Image courtesy of: htttp://jcr.queens.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/queens-summer.jpg

The Revd Dr Paul Regan, Van Mildert College Chaplain, introduces the Bishop Van Mildert Lecture Series Our college, named after William Van Mildert, was founded in 1965. Although the college library does not have any substantial holdings relating to the Bishop, former principal of the College, Arnold Bradshaw, has a significant place in the study of William Van Mildert’s life and period.

In the early years of the College’s history, Bradshaw discovered over 1,300 papers relating to the life of Van Mildert in a pigeon loft in Bradden House, Northamptonshire. These papers were transferred to the College in 1973, and then to the University Library in 1989, where they now form the main part of the Van Mildert Papers in the library’s special collections section.

Last year, to celebrate our association with William Van Mildert, we established an annual lecture series named after the bishop. The theme of the lectures will be the Protestant tradition within the British Isles from the 16th to the 20th century, as this topic resonates with the life and work of William Van Mildert.

The first of the Bishop Van Mildert annual lectures took place in early May when we welcomed Professor Andrew Spicer to deliver his lecture ‘Building a Protestant Church.

Architecture and Religious Change in the British Isles, c.1559–1662’. The College is very grateful for an initial grant from the University to establish this lectures series and Van Mildert College hopes that in time a postgraduate scholarship in this field will be established.

Although known for being controversial, William Van Mildert was also a man of compassion, kindness and generosity. He had, apparently, great personal charm and warmth, maintaining numerous friendships throughout his life. Thus when he died on Sunday 21 February 1836 he was widely mourned. Although he had requested that he be buried at Auckland Castle, where he had a vault constructed, Van Mildert was buried in Durham Cathedral within the altar rails and a more recent commemoration in the form of a stained glass window can be seen at Etherley Parish Church near Bishop Auckland.

Events and Activities Come and join the Van Mildert family Throughout the year the Van Mildert Association and the college host a wide range of events and activities and we’d love you to join us.

If you have got any ideas or suggestion for events or activities, or would like to host a Van Mildert reunion event, please get in touch with vm.development@durham.ac.uk

Many of you will have experienced the fun of a reunion weekend: an opportunity for you to step back into your student days, dine in the Ann Dobson Hall, rock ‘n’ roll in the JCR, enjoy a drink of two in the For the latest information about events and activities visit: www.durham.ac.uk/vanbar, and then head back to your student room to mildert.association/events remember just how comfy those beds really were!

Make sure that you complete the booking form on page 27 so that you don’t miss out on this year’s reunion. All year groups are very welcome, along with partners and friends (even those from other colleges!)

If you’re not able to make it to the Reunion Weekend, look out for details of the Van Mildert Trust Lecture, which will be held on in November. And, if you do happen to find yourself in the North East, let college know, and you’d be very welcome to call in and have a look around.

There’s a growing programme too of events up and down the country. Principal Dave Harper has hosted two informal drinks receptions in London, we had a lunch in Oxford to celebrate the 90th birthday of former Principal, Dr Paul Kent, and there are plans for events in Manchester, Edinburgh, and Paris later this year.

VMA AGM 30th June 2012 Attending: David Ellery (chair), Nick Lee, Dave Harper (Principal), Stuart Harrison, Janet Harrison, Alison Gowman, Richard Martin, Val Miller, Caroline Boardman, Arthur Harris, Gwilym Stone, James Reevell, Becky Townson, Clive Lemmon, Derek Horsman, John Machin, Humu Choji, Rob York, Vicky Ridley, Alice Delemare, Julie Williams, Apologies: Dan Evans, Mary Evans, Becky Rowe, Robin Palmer, Keith Welham, Beth Sassen, Chris Dobson, Ann Dobson, George Alagiah, Frances Alagiah, David Needham, Tony Davis, Mark Levesley, Alan Mortby, Chris Wilson, Richard Carter, Alan Fairnington, Alan Senior, Dan Stevens, Nigel Brook, Marian Martin, Paul Regan, Arnold Bradshaw, Paul Kent, Judy Turner, Patrick O’Meara, Di O’Meara 1. Welcome and apologies 1.1 The Chair welcomed members to the 2012 annual general meeting. He was particularly pleased to welcome Professor Dave Harper to his first annual general meeting as Principal of Van Mildert.

2. Minutes 2.1 The AGM approved the minutes of the general meeting of the Association of 2011.

3. Matters arising 3.1 The AGM noted that double-sided printing of papers for meetings of the Association would be both more costeffective and more environmentally friendly: 3.2 The Chair reported that, following the discussion at the previous annual general meeting of the importance of the VMA demonstrating its value to current Van Mildert students, he – along with Vicky Ridley – would be discussing with the JCR President what opportunities might exist to engage members of the Junior Common Room, including the new intake in September. In doing so, they would underscore the role of the Association and its value to students.

3.3 The AGM noted that: the JCR President had been unable to attend the meeting because of commitments at the concurrent College open day; the relationship between the JCR and the Association was important, not least given the value of the work that the Association did; and the Chair would emphasise the importance of this being acknowledged.

3.4 The AGM noted that Ann Dobson, who had suffered from some ill health, was now making encouraging progress.

3.5 The Chair reported that: work was already under way to review the constitution of the Association; if necessary changes were identified as a consequence of this work, then proposals would be brought forward in advance of an annual general meeting so as to allow the AGM to discuss the issues in an informed matter at its

meeting.

3.6 The Chair reported that Vicky Brown, a former president of the Middle Common Room, had been appointed as the Van Mildert Trust’s first sabbatical development officer.

4. News of the College 4.1 The Principal reported that: the Chair had circulated, with the papers for the meeting, a short report on the work of the Trust over the preceding year; College news Van Mildert’s graduating student in 2012 had the secondhighest proportion of first- and 2:1-class degrees in the university; In sport, the College had come third in terms of the number of points it had scored per student; the College now ran five outreach projects, involving some 150 of its students. A sixth – working with Childline – would be launched the following year; Vicky Brown had been appointed as the Trust’s first sabbatical officer; he was particularly concerned with efforts to improve the College’s sustainability – part of this included significant reductions in utility costs, and he would welcome any contributions alumni would wish to make in this area; and Professor Brian Tanner had been elected the first fellow of Van Mildert College.

5. Van Mildert College Trust 5.1 The Principal (as chair of the Trust) reported that: additional funding had been successfully obtained for two PhD scholarships, following the first entered into on behalf of Megan Wainwright. One of these was in Chemistry and one in English; the Dobson Foundation continued to generously support the trust; the Trust lecture, given by Lord Bragg of Wigton, had attracted some 400 people; and some £5,000 per annum of College funds had now been set aside for the maintenance of the lake.

6. Dates of Future Reunions 6.1 The Principal reported that: it was possible, although by no means clear, that the main building of the College would need to be closed in 2013 to allow for maintenance work. If this were to transpire, alternative dining facilities would need to be identified for the reunion weekend that year; and since the 2015 reunion weekend would be a significant anniversary, it would be important the as much good accommodation as possible be available for returning alumni. It was possible that the current date might clash with a University open day, with adverse consequences as regards accommodation.

6.2 Members of the Association noted that: there were significant benefits in attending events held while students were in College, not least given the change in atmosphere during vacations; it would nonetheless be important, above all else, that – whatever date was identified – this date was one which enabled alumni to make use of the college and its facilities even if it were out of term time and needed in the circumstances to be held as late as September. Given this unanimous view, the Committee was mandated to proceed on this basis; Van Mildert’s anniversary coincided with that of Durham Business School, and some co-ordination might therefore be necessary and useful; and open days were an important event for the College and University and the Association should work with the College on arrangements to the benefit of such events.

7. Annual Report and Accounts 7.1 The Treasurer reported that: the position with respect to the accounts was not dissimilar to that in previous years, although the costs of VMA News had increased slightly and income from the reunion weekend had fallen slightly; and any changes to subscriptions – either as regards the mechanism for receiving them or their level – would be likely to have a significant, adverse impact on the Association’s finance, possibly imperilling its capacity to deliver projects such as the careers dialogue.

7.2 The Association agreed to note the accounts.

8. Election of Officers for 2012/13 8.1 The Chair reported that: 2015 would be a significant year for the College, and a great deal of work would need to be done in advance of that; and he was proposing, therefore, that officers be elected for

three years so as to allow for the allocation of work in preparation for the College’s anniversary.

8.2 The Association agreed that officers should be elected for three years, with further elections to take place at the Annual General Meeting in 2015.

8.3 The Association elected the following as its officers: Chair – David Ellery; Secretary – JCR President; Membership Secretary – College Secretary; Treasurer – Janet Harrison and Stewart Harrison; and Executive Committee – Vicky Ridley and Nick Lee. 8.4 The Association further noted that the Master was an ex-officio member of the Committee.

8.5 The Association agreed to record its thanks to those members of the Committee standing down – Julie Hollingworth (Treasurer), Alice Delemare (executive committee) and Richard Martin (executive committee).

9. Any other business VMA News 9.1 The Chair reported that: VMA News had not been issued that year for a number of reasons. It had been proposed to change the publication date to September 2013, but a significant number of alumni had urged that the timing not be changed given the links between the magazine and the reunion weekend; many alumni had said that they continued to regard a hard-copy publication in April as being of significant importance, while there were significant drawbacks to an approach relying on electronic publications only; while, in the circumstances, it would not now be possible to produce a hard copy magazine in 2012, one would be produced in 2013 ; the production of VMA News was time consuming, and if any members wished to contribute to this work, he would welcome volunteers.

College archive material 9.2 John Machin noted that it had been reported to him that the College archive had been lost. If true, this was of significant concern.

9.3 The Principal reported that the College Chaplain had been active in maintaining and revising the College archive, working with the Librarian, and they were preparing material for a display to mark the College’s fiftieth anniversary.

These minutes will be available and approved at the next AGM in Van Mildert College on Saturday 29th June 2013.

VAN MILDERT COLLEGE ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND 28TH – 30TH JUNE 2013 Please complete this form and send it to: Development Officer, Van Mildert College, Mill Hill Lane, Durham, DH1 3LH with full payment by Friday 7th June 2013. It will not be possible to accept bookings after this date. (Bookings without advance payment and telephone bookings cannot be accepted). No changes to bookings can be accepted after Friday 7th June 2013.

Date: Friday 28th June

Accommodation: Standard room Single en-suite in Deerness

Saturday 29th June

Accommodation: Standard room Single en-suite in Deerness Twin en-suite in Tunstall 3.30 pm. Cream Tea and refreshments Annual General Meeting 4.00 pm in the Turner Room Reunion Dinner Reception at 6.30 pm Seated at 7.00 pm for speaker Dinner at 7.30 pm Dress code: Black tie/lounge suit

Saturday 29th June Saturday 29th June Saturday 29th June

Price per person

Number of people

£31.00 £41.00

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£31.00 £41.00 £82.00 (double) FREE

Total cost:

………………............... .................................

N/A ……………………….

N/A £29.50

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Dietary requirements

£ All accommodation requests will be processed on a first come first served basis.

YOUR DETAILS (PLEASE IN BLOCK CAPITALS) Name: _______________________________________ Year of entry: _____________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Email Address: _________________________________________________________________________________ Mobile/Telephone No: ___________________________________________________________________________ Name of guest(s): _______________________________________________________________________________ At the dinner I would like to sit with: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ I enclose a cheque made payable to ‘Van Mildert Association’ for £ ________ VMA members who want to return for the reunion but do not wish to attend the dinner are welcome to do so. However, because of increasing security problems, particularly when college and bar staff do not know all the visitors, everyone who intends coming must let college know in advance. For the same reason anyone who intends to stay overnight in college must register in advance and pay the bed and breakfast price. The student concession of letting people sleep free in other people’s rooms does not apply to graduates.

VMA News is the magazine of the Van Mildert Association EDITOR: Victoria Ridley - victoria.ridley@dunelm.org.uk CONTRIBUTORS: Alistair Adams, Martin Brader, Victoria Brown, David Ellery, Ed Garrett Jenny Gray, David Harper, Kate Neilan, Jack Patterson, Paul Regan and Sue Trees With thanks to: Ian Brookes and Alan Mortby

Van Mildert Association Van Mildert College Mill Hill Lane Durham DH1 3LH

Tel. (0191) 334 7151