Optima issue 9 • spring 2006
CONTENTS
The Master’s message
2 & 3 The Chaplaincy appeal The evolving role of a College Chaplain and ‘Friends of the Chapel’ day.
College choir hope to touch a chord A plea for help from the choir. 4 & 5 United by Fitz, divided by party Three MPs answer questions. Art starts Beginnings of a Fitzwilliam Art Society.
6 Taking strength from early tragedy Sir Bryan Askew’s early life and how it shaped him.
7 A day in the life of a Head Porter David Bannister reports on College changes during his twelve years as a porter.
8 Remembering Fitzwilliam All about legacies and the benefit that can be derived from them.
9 Fitzwilliam Annual Fund An interim report.
One golden bond The golden anniversary row of a veteran squad.
10 Money makes the world go around Zoë Shaw’s degree in English led to a career in banking.
11 In the running Silke and the Ironman Silke Pichler’s aspirations to be an Olympic runner. Chariots of Fire Fitzwilliam’s winning team.
12 Taking the law into their own hands Three law students benefit from work experience placements.
13 The Singapore Chapter Singapore provides a template for overseas chapters of Fitzwilliam alumni.
14 & 15 Students swap Two students, one from MIT and one from Fitzwilliam, change place. Competition Winners of the competitions in Optima VII & VIII and a new one.
16 News and events at Fitzwilliam The diary for 2006 by Emma Camps.
Transforming Tomorrow Dr David Starkey gives the keynote address in New York.
To return to Fitzwilliam, after my own elevenyear absence in other institutions, is to be struck by the College’s remarkable progress on every front. Former students who come back to Cambridge after a much longer gap are initially simply awestruck by what has been achieved. They will need no reminding about how much we all owe to earlier generations whose hard work and personal commitment have contributed to the College’s development. But each new cohort of Freshers has their attention drawn to what we must never take for granted: the extraordinary affection and generosity of Fitzwilliam’s alumni. Time and again they have responded to the College’s needs, whether to fund awards, extracurricular activities or facilities, not least in the wonderfully successful recent Appeal to allow us to construct a new Boathouse. The reinforcement provided by such expressions of loyal support is one of the College’s greatest strengths as it confronts the challenges ahead. Robert Lethbridge has been Master of Fitzwilliam since 3 October 2005. He is Emeritus Professor of French Language and Literature in the University of London. He was made Chevalier des Palmes Académiques in 1998 for services to French culture and scholarship. His first academic post, in 1973, was at Fitzwilliam and he was Senior Tutor of the College for the decade 1982–92. He has been a Life Fellow since 1994 when he was
This issue of Optima is further testimony of what that alumni support means in practice. For the College’s achievements collectively are inseparable from the rich and diverse experience of individual students past and present. They are distinguishing themselves in all aspects of College life, making it unsurprising that they are making major contributions to different ‘real’ worlds beyond Cambridge after they graduate. This takes them not only to rewarding careers but also to many farflung parts of the globe, as befits the international community Fitzwilliam has been since its foundation. We are committed to maintaining what is special about Fitzwilliam. In that respect, 2006 represents a key moment in our collective thinking about the future. The introduction of top-up fees, from this coming October, will obviously increasingly disadvantage many Fitzwilliam students (and their families). The more profound significance of this can only be grasped if it is put in the same frame as the political and financial pressures on the Oxbridge collegiate model of higher education. Does anybody really believe that, in ten years’ time, the taxpayer will consider it a priority to fund the particular experience traditionally offered to its students by the College? And how will Fitzwilliam itself compete in attracting the most promising and the most talented against the richer colleges? These are highly important issues for the College and we are going to have to involve our entire community of lifelong members to ensure that Fitzwilliam continues to prosper. I look forward to meeting many of you as we take forward this great project.
appointed to a Chair at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he was successively Head of Department, Dean of the Graduate School and VicePrincipal. Before his recent return to the College, he was Director of the University of London Institute in Paris. Professor Lethbridge is married, with a son and daughter and two grandchildren (so far!).
college chaplain • 2
The evolving role of a College Chaplain In 2002, Fitzwilliam College launched an Appeal to safeguard the post of College Chaplain in perpetuity (Optima II). The ambitious target of £450,000 was announced, the interest from which would cover a threequarter’s time post and all the annual costs. The Fund, started by the transfer of an endowment had reached the magnificent sum of £243,188 by the end of March 2006, due to the addition of 339 donations. Those individuals who had donated £50 or more to the Fund were designated ‘A Friend of Fitzwilliam Chapel’. They now number over 100. The response has been tremendous but more funds must be realised by 2008 when the endowment must cover the full cost of the post.
Simon Perry, Fitzwilliam Chaplain
Preparing toasted sandwiches at FitzCafé
Every Chaplain brings his/her own style of ministry to the post. The current Chaplain is Simon Perry, a Baptist by trade, who has extended the spiritual and pastoral role of his Chaplaincy to overseeing the running of a café; 24/3 meetings where students pray for life in the College and the world beyond; organising discussion groups of controversial issues; fielding and uniting the different faith elements within the College; speaking on a range of issues on the Alpha course; rowing stroke in the 2nd Men’s VIII, coaching several boats and coxing a Ladies’ VIII. These activities combine fellowship and service of others with spirituality and worship and have touched a chord with those who study and work here. Edward Simpson, an undergraduate (Natural Sciences 2000), now postgraduate says, “Since coming, I have seen these groups – the Christian Union, Fusion, the Chapel community – all grow in strength, and become more unified. This is both a huge encouragement and a sure sign that God is really working in Fitz, through the Chaplain”. FitzCafé operates every Friday as a friendly and inviting place to spend time on a Friday night. Occasionally live music is featured (AcousticCafé) and it additionally opens to coincide with College Entz events. Hot drinks and toasted sandwiches are served for some twenty to thirty people on a normal Friday, rising to fifty plus on an Entz night. Four students head the management team overseen by the Chaplain and they are responsible for buying stock, organising the helpers’ rota, cashing up and washing up. It has no strings attached and those who lead it give up their time freely, motivated by a concern to know Christ through the service of others. Whoever wants to be great among you must become your servant (Matthew 20:26). The vision statement for the café framed on the order desk is the only outward sign of its Christian purpose. Where possible produce is bought through ‘Fairtrade’. Any profit is either re-invested in the café or given to charities supported by the Chapel. Occasionally, free food is given away at the discretion of the Committee – to Freshers at the Staircase party (start of year) or as profit to pay for free meals for those attending the Alpha course. Being involved with café allows students from Fitzwilliam Chapel and other churches to meet up and spontaneous theological discussions may occur but the students who work in FitzCafé share the same vision, to serve the College and their neighbours. The international Alpha courses provide an opportunity to explore the Christian faith in a series of talks addressing key issues. The one at Fitz was staged for eight weeks during the Lent term aimed at students from the colleges on the hill (Churchill, Fitzwilliam and New Hall). It started with a communal meal and talk and then those present broke into discussion groups to chat
over coffee. It was funded partly by local churches but also by Fitz students in the Christian community who made anonymous donations and raised £250. Some fifteen to twenty-five students attended regularly, different speakers and topics were covered each week with Simon leading three of the sessions. Such a lot was learned from the experience both from the educational point of view and from making new contacts that it is hoped it will be repeated. 24/3 Prayer occurs every term and comprises three days of prayer in the Chapel crypt. The crypt is decorated with inspirational material: maps of the world, pointers for prayer, texts and blank pages on which to write messages. The days and nights are divided into hourly slots and students sign up to pray for an hour, alone or with a cell group. Prayers are said for specific causes, requests, world issues and for those immediately around them. It climaxes with a special service, held in the Chapel on a Friday called ‘Beyond Belief ’. Vicky Robb (Theology 2003) and on the FitzCafé Committee says, “Two of the most positive Christian experiences I have had since being here have been overseen by our current Chaplain; the ‘Friday night café’ where Christians of different denominations work together to serve the College and ‘24/3 prayer events’, where all the Christians of the College are united in prayer for their peers. The Chaplain is essential to this process, deeply important to the spiritual fabric of Fitz”. Beyond Belief is a service and a half to mark the end of the three days of prayer. The Chaplain leads it aided by some of the students; it has no written order of service and no choir; it uses multimedia, video clips, DVDs and music; it is attended by the majority of Christians in College who bring friends, doubling the usual student congregation and is a celebration of belief. Simon found getting to know students initially a hard nut to crack. He made a deliberate decision to become involved with rowing so he could get to know them as friends and colleagues and take the mystery away from time spent with a Chaplain. It has made him accessible. He has friends among the rowers and it has the knock-on effect of meeting their non-rowing friends on an informal basis. He does not live on site, but can spend leisure time furthering his ministry in an unobtrusive way. Finally, a plea from Katie Orchel (Geography 2003), “Many colleges have scrapped their resident college Chaplain, however, here at Fitzwilliam we are fortunate to still have one. The Chaplain is a key figure in College who bridges and networks the myriad social and spiritual groups in Fitzwilliam – a key asset for any college. This unique role is in danger of extinction because we do not have the funds! Please give now to ensure we can have a permanent College Chaplain!” For more information on giving to the Chaplaincy Fund, please turn to the centre pages.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
The late Professor Norman Pounds (Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam) with Katie Orchel (Geography 2003)
On a beautiful autumn Saturday a number of ‘Friends of Fitzwilliam Chapel’ joined Fellows and students for a day of celebration of the Chapel and all it stands for. “Friends” were welcomed with tea and coffee before attending a service of worship in the Chapel. The Reverend Dr Simon Perry, College Chaplain led the service basing his readings and prayers on the theme of welcome (John IV). The choir performed a beautiful musical programme ranging from Rutter’s, “The Lord bless you and keep you” to Gershwin’s, “I got rhythm ”. Dr David Thompson, President of the College, thanked the choir for their superb recital, extending his gratitude to Dr Peter Tregear, Director of Music, and lunch was served.
The ever-industrious Fitz kitchen staff produced a superb buffet in the Walter Grave room where conversation and wine flowed freely. After lunch, presentations took place in the Trust room, led by the Master, Professor Robert Lethbridge who stated the case for safeguarding the post of College Chaplain. The Chaplain spoke on his role and how fundamental it is for preserving and evangelising the Christian faith in the College. The talks were summed up by Dr Thompson who led the vigorous discussion that ensued. The day ended with tea and coffee and a feeling of a day well spent. The Reverend Derek Duckworth (1949) wrote to the Chaplain afterwards, “I shall remember and treasure the day in the future”.
College choir hope to touch a chord
Ellie Goodfield conducting the choir
Alex West (Junior Organ Scholar)
Choir singing in San Augustino, Italy, 2005
Think of Cambridge. Think of choirs. King’s and St John’s probably spring to mind. Fitz is missed. Yet, the choir has grown in strength and reputation, swelled by choral scholars from New Hall who have no choir, nor Chapel of their own. The choristers may be sopranos, altos, tenors or basses (SATB); they may study subjects from Maths to Medicine but they are all united in their love of music, usually playing several instruments as well as singing and giving their time and expertise, freely. They have recently cut their first CD in order to reach a wider audience and enhance their profile. They perform at College events such as the Reunion and Commemoration dinners, they sing with other choirs and combine with other orchestras in wonderful concerts and they sing at Chapel services every Sunday in term time. Their gifts are great and their needs are few but they do need help to achieve some modest aims. Choral scholarships – Six of the Fitzwilliam students and another six from Newhall are in receipt of choral scholarships. Sounds grand but it is the recognition of their skill rather than huge financial reward. They get £100/year! David Knight, President of the Fitzwilliam Music Society, has sung since a boy as a church chorister and performed in various cathedrals become coming to Fitz. The others have similar backgrounds. Their collective expertise is impressive. Then there are the organ scholars. There is a junior, Alex West and senior, Ellie Goodfield. They are responsible for setting the music for the choir, overseeing practices and training (with the help of the choral scholars) and organising all the events and concerts that the choir are involved in. They also receive the princely sum of £100/year.
OK, it all sounds good on your CV, adds another string to your bow, but rarely can they go on to perform professionally due to the precarious life led by professional musicians. They do it because they love it. The first need is a few more choral scholarships. To endow a choral scholarship, and it can be named after a specific benefactor, an endowment of £2,500 is needed (£1953 with gift aid) which would derive revenue of £100 pa. The ideal choir has six sopranos, six altos, four tenors and six basses. At present, only some of these can be awarded choral scholarships. Wouldn’t it be great to have enough for each choir member? Fitz choir is good and wants to get better known. Its aims are stability, satisfaction, enthusiasm and musical integrity. They would like to have a piece of music commissioned for them. A short SATB may cost as little as £4,000 and they need a sponsor. They already have some composers in mind. College is helping with some of their needs. When they sing out of term time, for Christmas concerts and at the Reunion, the College are able to provide free out-of-term accommodation. Subsidised halls are available and a grant from the JMA to help with running costs. Other things, like the tours (they would ideally like one UK and one overseas tour each year), sheet music and instrument repair are helped by Funds already in place donated by kind benefactors. But more sponsorship is needed so they can really achieve their potential. Please help them reach the right note and elevate the name of Fitzwilliam choir up there with the best in Cambridge. If you would like to help the choir, please contact Sarah (development@fitz.cam.ac.uk).
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
friends of the chapel/college choir • 3
‘Friends of the Chapel’ Day, 29 October 2005
united by fitz• 4
United by Fitz, divided by party It has been called ‘the Cambridge mafia’: 10% of those elected as Members of Parliament (MP)s in the 2005 elections were educated in Cambridge and this statistic has remained constant over the last three parliaments. Fitzwilliam currently has six Members, only pipped at the post by Clare College, which has seven. They are Andy Burnham (1988), Vince Cable (1962), Michael Gapes (1972), Julia Goldsworthy (1997), James Knight (1984) and David Wilshire (1962). In this article three of Fitz’s finest, united by a common education but divided by the parties they serve, give their answers to five questions. In alphabetical order, they are: Andy Burnham (English 1988) Labour MP
Vince Cable (Economics 1962) Liberal Democrat MP
David Wilshire (Geography 1962)Conservative MP
Andy was elected as Labour MP for Leigh, Greater Manchester in June 2001. He has served on the Health Select Committee and was Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Blunkett (when he was Home Secretary) between 2003 and 2004. In May 2005 he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office and has specific responsibility for identity cards, refugee integration, E-borders and extradition. He is interested in football and is an Everton fan.
Vince was President of the Cambridge Union after Norman Lamont (Economics 1961). Although originally in the Labour Party (Glasgow in the 1970s), he joined the fledgling SDP in the early 80s and became Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham in 1997. He is the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, sits on a number of Parliamentary groups dealing with issues from adoption to overseas development and pensions to pulmonary hypertension. He is a keen ballroom dancer. David was elected MP for Spelthorne, Middlesex in June 1987. During his eighteen years as a Conservative MP he has served as a United Nations Election Observer in a number of countries and has been Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministers of State for Defence Procurement (Hon Alan Clarke) and for Prisons (Right Hon Sir Peter Lloyd). From 2001 to 2005 he was the Senior Opposition Whip. He is both a keen gardener and an amateur cider maker. Why did a Cambridge education as a student at Fitzwilliam College aid your career as an MP? Andy Burnham: I loved my time at Fitz and feel it set me up well for the future in so many ways, not least in introducing me to my wife, Marie-France (SPS 1989). My Cambridge education has certainly stood me in good stead along my career path, but I don't think it gave me any particular advantage when seeking selection as a Parliamentary candidate. I have to say I have not yet had to call
on my fading knowledge of medieval English poetry on the doorstep in Leigh! Vince Cable: I was in a politically active generation at Fitzwilliam, a year behind Norman Lamont, whom I followed as President of the Union. The skills of debating and political writing I acquired as an undergraduate. David Wilshire: I was not politically active at Fitzwilliam. However, a higher degree is a great asset in a wide range of jobs. Why did you choose your party? Andy Burnham (Labour): In our family, football and political allegiances are chosen for you. So I knew I was an Everton supporter and Labour from an early age. But I decided to go further and join the Labour Party in 1985, a time when our part of the North West was reeling under the actions of the then Government. I saw Labour as standing for the common good over individual privilege. I believe that today as strongly as I did then. Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat): I was a liberal as a student, attracted by the party's internationalism, classlessness and freedom from vested interests. After failing as a student to achieve an alliance between the University Liberal Club and the moderates in the Labour Club, I left to join Harold Wilson's Labour Party. I was there for fifteen years - interalia as a Glasgow Councillor and then special advisor to John Smith – until the ‘civil war’ of the early 1980s, when I rejoined what is now the Lib Dems (then the SDP/Liberal Alliance). David Wilshire (Conservative): Because I love my country much as it is and believe in our culture, history and traditions and consider that responsible capitalism offers the best route to increasing prosperity for all – and because I detest socialism in whatever guise it dresses itself up and because I deplore politicians who try to be all things to all people. What is most important thing you would like your party to achieve? Andy Burnham: I'd like to see us close the northsouth divide for good, spreading life chances and good health equally throughout the country. In my view, one of the best ways of achieving this in the long-term, and tackling a whole range of other social problems along the way, is to raise the staying-on rate at sixteen in areas like the one I represent to the same level as in the country's most affluent areas. On the international stage, I take great pride from the lead this Government continues to set in increasing overseas aid, reforming trade rules and wiping out debt. Vince Cable: Power at national level. We have made enormous strides in parliament and local
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
government and have the highest representation in parliament since the 1920s. I now want us to be seen as a party of government.
quality of service and representation they are entitled to expect from an MP.
Development Office Fitzwilliam College Cambridge cb3 0dg
David Wilshire: Get rid of the current dreadful Prime Minister and appalling Government, that is destroying this country’s culture and traditions.
What would you say to those students who wish to pursue a career in politics?
telephone: + 44 (0) 1223 332075
How do you think you, personally, can make a difference?
email: sc266@cam.ac.uk
Andy Burnham: It's a privilege to serve as a minister in the Government and I'm ever conscious that the decisions I make will have a direct impact on people's lives. This is particularly true of the Home Office. At every level of politics, I have found that it is possible to make a difference - but that change takes time, determination and a positive outlook. All three main parties should work together more to tackle the corrosive cynicism about politics and politicians. In my experience, very few on any side are in it entirely for themselves. Vince Cable: As my party's Shadow Chancellor my job is to ensure that we are economically credible; and I think we are achieving that. David Wilshire: By providing my 70,000 constituents (whoever they voted for) with the
Andy Burnham: I'm sure I was no different to many students interested in politics in that I wanted to go straight in and do all the glamour stuff such as writing pamphlets, speeches and press releases for leading politicians. All of that is possible, but there is no substitute for rolling your sleeves up and getting out campaigning at a local level. That's the best way to earn your spurs and get a proper grounding in how it all works. Vince Cable: By all means get involved in politics. Of all my many jobs – since leaving university – in business, government, academia and international organisations – being an MP is the one that has given me by far the greatest level of job satisfaction. But you have to be patient and need stamina (it took me 27 years from my first bid for parliament to when I was first elected in 1997). David Wilshire: Get some experience in the real world first and resist the temptation to become a Special Adviser, party official or other political anorak.
Art starts
Graeme Barnes (Geography 2002), stone sculpting
Nutter’s note heeded
In 2004, Fiona Mackay (Geography 2000) decided that there was something lacking at Fitzwilliam. Students with artistic leanings needed to be able to express themselves, students without them deserved the chance to “have a go” and for those with pre-exam stress, it would provide a welcome diversion. With a temporary studio and lots of enthusiasm, fitzART was born and has been growing ever since. This year sees an art studio under construction in Wychfield Lane, alongside the College, for ongoing projects and individual use while classes continue to be held in the Gaskoin room. On Monday evenings there are Life Drawing classes with a hired model; on Tuesdays regular art classes take place led by a visiting artist and when mutually convenient, groups of five or so students at a time attend a stone carver’s workshop for tuition in stone sculpting.
Plans are afoot to re-equip the dormant dark room for photography and also to start pottery classes. Successful exhibitions, demonstrating students’ and Fellows’ prowess at sculpture, life drawing, photography and watercolour, have been held for the last two years and more are planned for the future. The Society now has a committee, they have written a constitution and a five-year plan. They are applying for Senior Society status from the JMA Executive Trustees and, if successful, it will bring with it some assured funding and get fitzART on to a firm footing. Art was a void waiting to be filled. Numbers and interest are growing and with nurturing, fitzART will join fitzTheatre and fitzMusic in creating opportunities for every student in addition to their strict academic regimes.
In Optima VII, at the request of Graham Nutter (1966), the location of his vineyard in France was published with an invitation for any Fitzbillies to visit. One has done just that! Here is Brian Heath (1953) on the left, at Château St Jacques, being well received by Graham in June 2005, as his first visitor from Fitz. Website: www.chateaustjacques.com
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
united by fitz/art starts • 5
Dr Sarah Coppendale The Editor
Taking strength from early tragedy
strength from early tragedy • 6
Bryan Askew (History, 1949)
Sir Bryan Askew
Sir Bryan Askew with Mrs Pat Solk, Chairman of Leeds East Health Authority on the occasion of a visit in 1998 to St James’s Hospital by Ken Clarke, Secretary of State
STOP PRESS! Photo: Jet Photographic
Mark Arends BSc MBChB PhD FRCPath, Reader in Histopathology and Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, has been awarded one of the prestigious Pilkington Prizes for 2006. The Pilkington Prizes recognise excellence in teaching and were set up by the late Alastair Pilkington, former Chairman of the Cambridge Foundation. The prizes are supported by Cambridge University Press.
Bryan Askew began life in a small mining village in Durham County, living happily in a terraced house mortgaged from the colliery where his father was horse keeper. The mile walk to school, home for lunch and back again, were part of his early childhood memories as was being taken down the pit, aged eight, by his father. The event of World War II brought soldiers to the mining villages to guard the collieries. On Bryan’s tenth Birthday in August 1940, a fire broke out in the coal washery which had been camouflaged by a tarpaulin and become overheated by the sun. One of the soldiers, who had been a guest at their home for Sunday lunch, called Bryan’s father out to help. He rescued one miner but was burned to death while returning to check for survivors. He was thirty-six. Bryan’s mother was left to bring up Bryan and his sixteen-month-old brother on eighteen shillings a week benefit and went to work at the local Co-op store while his grandparents looked after his brother. At home, he moved on to the local Wellfield Grammar School, a co-educational grammar school of over five hundred children, drawn from fifteen pit villages. He was a bright child and was able to skip a year. Things were taking a turn for the better, until tragedy struck once again. On holiday in Northumberland in 1947, Bryan contracted polio and spent six weeks in isolation in a TB sanatorium at Berwick-on-Tweed. Another case was also identified in the locality, a boy of eight from Holy Island. He died and Bryan’s life hung in the balance with regular bulletins on his health being posted in the local paper. He was left with a severely weakened upper body and was transferred to his local hospital. After a few weeks he became an outpatient having physiotherapy, electric treatment and wax baths four times a week for nine months. Back to square one at school after the loss of a year’s schooling, his weakened arms made writing difficult. Determined to gain strength, he refused help from his well-meaning peers and took up tennis to improve his grip and musculature. The first few balls hit the racquet clean from his hands but by his final term at school he was elected Tennis Captain on merit. He feels these setbacks made him more resilient and able to cope with disappointments in later life, yet progress to the next challenge. Words became an important weapon in his armoury, as his physical activity was limited. Arthur Scargill’s historic pleas to protect jobs for the miners were not being heeded at this time, as parents looked for a better life for their children. Bryan was encouraged to seek academic success, took Higher School Certificate in its last year and was awarded a Major County Scholarship that brought him to Cambridge and Fitzwilliam, chosen because of its reputation
of catering for those from poorer backgrounds. His fellow Freshmen were a mixed yet mature bunch, most having served in the forces and thus experienced war deprivation and the pain of conflict. His childhood experiences meant that he fitted in well; although W S Thatcher did let slip he was the first student to have come from a co-educational school in a pit village. At that time, Air Vice Marshall Sir Alan Rooke was Head of the University Health Service and took a personal interest in Bryan’s health. At the end of his first year, he went into Addenbrooke’s Hospital, next door to Fitzwilliam House, and underwent an opponens graft, the first of its kind, to insert a one and a quarter inch bone graft into his hand to enable him to grip. It did allow him to write well enough to take notes but it was apparent that the continuous writing required in the History Tripos papers, was out of the question. His Director of Studies, the late Dr Leslie Wayper, offered him the choice of an aegrotat degree (given to those whose medical condition does not allow them to sit the examinations) or the help of amanuensis and he chose the latter. He sat the exams in William Washington Williams’ office, with Joanna Dannatt from Girton writing his dictated answers. There was no allowance for extra time, the only concession being the arrival of cups of coffee! He achieved his degree. He loved his time at Fitzwilliam House, the exciting academic environment, the shared digs and bedsits and mixing with a varied and interesting group of people. A varied career followed, ranging from ICI, the steel industry, running his own company and then Samuel Smith’s Brewery from which he retired as Personnel Director in 1995. He stood three times for parliament, never making it to government, so describes himself as a “failed politician”. His eleven-year span as part time Chairman of the Yorkshire Regional Health Authority led to his becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in 1988 followed by a Knighthood for Services to Healthcare in 1989. More recently, he has concentrated on charity work, as Chairman of both the Tadcaster Swimming Pool Trust and the British Polio Fellowship. He returns to Fitzwilliam when he is able and likes the feel of the new buildings especially as they weather in the now established gardens. He compares student life here with that of his local University in Leeds, which he has served in a voluntary capacity for twenty three years, and hopes the students who come here appreciate just how privileged they are. Our congratulations go out to someone who celebrated his Golden Wedding last year and has risen above adversity to make the very best of a life, beset with early tragedy.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
David Bannister retired at the end of September 2005. He was a familiar figure to in excess of 2,000 past students in his pin striped trousers, white shirt, College tie and blazer and served the College for twelve years. He began as a part timer and worked his way up to the role of Head Porter, the post he held for six years. He was a fatherly figure and used to say, “You have to like students to do this job” and only considered candidates applying for a job as a porter who had a like mind. He found it best to measure the students against his own children and he presided benignly over the Porters’ Lodge. He has some tales to tell! He was put up for auction in Rag Week; he has dealt with fire alarms, burst pipes, hospitalisations and bomb threats; he was part of the ‘Question of Sport’ team composed of Fellows and students that attracted a large College-wide audience; he was responsible for closing down an Entz event which got out of hand and he was nominated once as the students’ favourite person. Why? Because he made good curries! He has chased an ice-cream thief around the College grounds, observed a couple of streakers on the football pitch at the Cuppers Final at Grange Road and was responsible for Fitz becoming the first Cambridge College to employ women porters on an equal footing to their male counterparts. Two aspects of College life have changed since he started. First, it has become more intensive, David Bannister in his o~ce not just for the students with more demanding courses and more pressure to succeed, but also the day-to-day life of College with continual activity in term time and vacation. Gone are the days of “Sleepy Johns”, porters who moonlighted as taxi drivers on their days off and dozed on the job when not busy. David even recalled visiting an Oxford College (that shall remain nameless!) where there was a room attached to the Porters’ Lodge where the camp beds reserved for student visitors were stored with one set up for the porters to have a kip. The number of Fitz porters grew from five to nine during his time, doing shifts from 8 am – 6.30 pm (three), 12 noon – 10 pm (two) and 10 pm – 8 am (one, the night porter). No time for dozing, the College is busy, day-in and day-out. Concurrent with the rise in activity, controls and safeguards have been introduced over the years to make it a safer place to live and an easier place to look after. A drinks code was put into place eight years ago to prevent excessive David Bannister at his leaving party with the Fulham ‘starter’
head porter • 7
A day in the life of a Head Porter
David Bannister and John Goodacre
and potentially harmful drinking on the premises. The Manciple has the right to sample cocktails that should not exceed one part spirit to six parts soft drink; half a bottle of wine is the norm allowed at student formals and students can no longer bring in their own (unlimited) wine and just pay corkage. This has reduced the number of sore heads (or worse) after events such as ‘Suicide Sunday’ (as the post exam celebrations are known!). Security has improved and gone are the days when strangers could wander into College, such as the homeless person found sleeping in a vacant room that came out sheepishly when challenged and was told “the game’s up”. Despite this, David never felt unsafe or threatened on the site, even when alone at night in the early days. Tokens, not cash, now work the slot machines, such as the laundry machines and all doors are kept firmly locked. A new security system has been recently installed throughout College that operates with card access for staff and students alike. One of his fondest memories was when 6’ 2”, Sarah Winckless (1993) returned at 2 am on the night of her 21st Birthday. As he let her in, she picked him up, kissed him and said. “I’m 21! I can do what I like!” His worst memories include a fire alarm on Q staircase due to a camping fridge leaking ammonia, leading to evacuation of the College and the fire brigade having to go in wearing breathing apparatus. More recently, a flood in the Grove caused by a dead squirrel blocking an internal gutter necessitated rescuing all the vital paperwork of a postgraduate student before his work was ruined. So, his days of welfare talks to the Freshers about their responsibilities while here, his organisation of staff rotas, his participation in the Head Porter’s Association, his fire demonstrations to staff, organisation of first aid courses, discussions about the merit of Fulham Football team and his gripe that yet another caller has confused the College with Fitzwilliam Museum, have ended. He has left a worthy successor in the avuncular, John Goodacre, another member of the extended Fitzwilliam family.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
Remembering Fitzwilliam “Death opens unknown doors” remembering fitzwilliam • 8
(John Masefield)
Dennis Doyle (Music 1947) was encouraged by a young concert pianist he had played with while on leave from fighting in the Western Desert to ‘get into music’. After the war, W S Thatcher (Censor, Fitzwilliam House, 1924 – 54) offered him a place and changed his life. He has left a legacy to Fitzwilliam to establish an organ scholarship and says: “I feel that what I am doing in my legacy, in establishing an organ scholarship and leaving the College my ‘cathedral’ and manual organ, my piano and all my music is but a small ‘thank you’ to the college for giving me such a start in my new musical life”.
Mrs Tracey Hancock (Geography 1980) writes: “In bequeathing what I can, I feel that I will be in some way repaying the College for its contribution to my life. I am not wealthy by any measure and I am sure my legacy will be outstripped by others, but if it helps other students to benefit from College life in any way it must be worthwhile, however great or small. I am happy to let the College decide how best to use it, for its needs in the decades to come may well change from the present.”
Legacy income is an invaluable source of revenue for any charity but only 5% of the British public makes a charitable donation in their Will, whereas 67% support a charity in their lifetime. It may be that making a Will is a daunting procedure and the subject of death and its impact on dependants, a difficult subject to broach. It may be that the tax implications are not clear. Charitable gifts are exempt from inheritance tax. Inheritance tax – the facts ! The lower threshold limit for inheritance tax, known as the Nil Rate Band stands at £285,000 for the 2006/2007 tax year (£275,000 last year). ! If the value of your estate (that is all your possessions including your house) exceeds this, then on your death your heirs will pay a flat rate of 40% inheritance tax to the Government on the excess. ! 98% of people found themselves liable for inheritance tax last year. If you own a detached house (average price calculated as £285,697 by the BBC News survey, February 2006) you will automatically find yourself in this bracket. ! The Government estimated it would derive £3.4 billion in revenue from inheritance tax in 2005/6. Shouldn’t YOU decide who gets your money? Fitzwilliam College is a charity just like the Red Cross or your local cats’ home. Any contribution from a Member, however great or however small is valued. Even a small bequest will build up to form the large amounts needed every year by the College. Jargon explained ! A legacy/bequest/gift all mean the same, something left for a recipient in a Will and can be of any value. ! A codicil is a change to an existing will, an addition without the need to re-write the original Will. ! Testator/testatrix (M/F) is YOU, the person making the Will. ! Beneficiary is anyone who is a recipient of a bequest. There are various types of legacy from which to choose: Pecuniary or Monetary legacy: This enables you to donate a specific cash sum. To prevent this being reduced by inflation over the intervening years, provision should be made for index linking. Thus, the gift you wish to make to the College will be of the value you originally decided, not whittled away to a less significant amount. Residual legacy: This allows you to make a gift of money or assets when all the pecuniary legacies (above), debts and other liabilities have been met. It can be part or whole of the residual amount. Reversionary or Life interest legacy: This enables you to leave your assets in the hands of nominated trustees to provide for beneficiaries and
dependents during their lifetime. If you are worried about family members being adequately provided for, this is a good choice. On their death, the residue or part or it would revert to the College. Specific or non-pecuniary legacy: This allows you to leave personal possessions to the College. They may be property, stocks and shares, works of art or other valuables. The College may be given the right to utilise them or realise their monetary value. The value of bequests: Bequests ranging from £1,000 to £250,000 have significantly enhanced the income of the College and aided its fantastic progress over the last decades. Currently, about 80 Members have indicated to us that they wish to pledge a bequest to the College; some state the value, others just make the pledge. This form of giving is ever more important in view of the reduction in public funding. By increasing the College endowment it serves to increase the facilities and academic opportunities to our students and sustain the progress of your College. How your gift can help: If you decide to make a bequest, you have the right to decide how you wish to see your gift directed, to the general endowment or to a certain area that is particularly dear to you. A small sum can be left to name a College prize, a larger one may set up a scholarship, be directed towards an appeal or even pay for a new building. Any Member who pledges a bequest to the College becomes a member of the 1869 Foundation and will be invited to those events organised for its members. How to make a pledge: A legacy pledge form can be found in the giving pages of this magazine. A pledge is neither legally binding, nor does it carry any legal obligation but it signifies to the College your intention. The knowledge that funds will be forthcoming allows us to plan for the future in a more informed manner. Whereas we are happy to help with information and confidential guidance in the matter of legacy pledges, legal advice should be sought in the preparation of your Will. Even if you already have a Will, a Codicil may be added in favour of the College, should you wish to do so. The Reverend Anthony Brown (Theology 1953) writes: “I decided to include a significant capital sum as a bequest to the Chaplaincy Fund of the College in my Will because having been a university chaplain, although not in Cambridge, I recognise the value to the College community of having someone who can provide a focus for Christian witness and pastoral care; this can be seen as a sign that the College values its Christian roots.”
Katie with French Horn
In September 2005, Fitzwilliam College launched its own Annual Fund. Regular donations were requested from Members in order that Fitzwilliam could keep up its well-established standard of excellence and build on the success the College has enjoyed since it began 137 years ago. Visitors to the College never fail to be impressed by the advances made since it moved up to the current site in 1963. They are able to enjoy the beautiful collection of modern buildings, set in attractive and well-maintained gardens all enclosed by up-to-date student accommodation. We have much to be proud of and thankful for. We appealed to our Members to make an impact on the success and direction of the College by putting something back. We also proffered options. Those who kindly responded chose whether they wished their gift directed towards teaching, research, student support, prizes or bursaries. The majority were motivated by the need to support our students. It is widely recognised that students today, and even more so in the future, will find the cost of a University education prohibitive. Fees are set to rise so aid must increase but debt will still put an additional burden on our students and may even deter bright, able young people from coming to Cambridge altogether. A profile of one of our students who derives direct benefit from your support follows: Katie Jones (Music 2003) came to Fitzwilliam from Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College in Northwich, Cheshire, a huge state school for sixth form studies. There were over six hundred students in her year alone. Five only went on to study at Oxford or Cambridge. Her music teacher at secondary school had encouraged her to play the French horn and she was in the National Youth Orchestra from the ages fifteen to seventeen. She wanted to come to Cambridge having heard it was the best university to study music. At Cambridge, the course consists of lectures
(musical theory, analysis and history), practising (she plays the horn with the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra) and listening to music to extend her knowledge of musical compositions and of the people who write and play. For this, she needs not only a large number of course books but a variety of CDs and DVDs, the latter so she can analyse film music. These are both expensive to purchase and a very necessary resource. She plays in a brass quintet, the Atlantic quintet, named as two of the members are from the States. They play jazz and classical and this helps by providing extra practice as well as some welcome cash when they perform at student gigs. Katie is in receipt of an annual student support grant to help her through her studies here and she says: “Student Hardship funds reduce the stress of living in such an expensive city. They have undoubtedly helped my degree course, as I’ve been able to buy course books with this money. I am grateful to anyone who provides funds for students like me, as without them many state school students just wouldn’t survive in Cambridge.” By mid-March 2006 eighty-nine donations totalling just under fifteen thousand pounds have been received. Thirty of the donors have completed standing orders thus committing money to College on a regular basis. Of course, this is just the start and we hope that over time, more of you will want to put something back and respond to our appeal for regular funds. We really need to increase the percentage of Members who support the College and are very grateful to those who have already agreed to do so. Remember: If one in every five Members were to give £10/month over a five-year period, it would raise over £750,000. Make Fitzwilliam your favourite charity; after all you have a vested interest! You can request another copy of the Annual Fund leaflet if you have mislaid yours, by e-mailing Sarah on sc266@cam.ac.uk or telephoning 01223 332075.
One golden bond
The 1955 veteran crew (below) outside Fitzwilliam Boathouse
Nine good men and true left Fitzwilliam Boathouse on a golden September morning in 2005 to repeat a journey taken fifty years ago. The 1955 Fitzwilliam House first May VIII plus cox relived the memory of winning their blades by rowing five miles to visit the sites of their conquests. This fantastic achievement has been extensively covered in the Fitzwilliam Journal, both local and national press and in Regatta, the magazine of the Amateur Rowing Association. The camaraderie enjoyed by rowers is epitomised by the efforts made to get this crew
reunited, fifty years later. That same camaraderie also has been harnessed in raising the funds for the new Fitzwilliam Boathouse. We wish a fond farewell to the old Boathouse in June and look forward to the new one rising, like a phoenix from the ashes, in the autumn. Planning Consents are awaited, funds are being gathered, building schedules put in place and valedictory events and official openings being planned. We thank all those Members who have supported the Fitzwilliam Boathouse appeal. A full list will be published in Optima, once the new Boathouse is completed.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
annual fund/one golden bond • 9
Fitzwilliam Annual Fund
Money makes the world go around
money makes the world go around • 10
Zoë Shaw (English, 1979) Zoë Shaw is the CEO and Managing Partner of New Bond Street Asset Management Limited Liability Partnership. She combines her career as a successful businesswoman with family life and her recent business interests in Iceland have enabled her to explore the country and even catch her first salmon. She describes how an English degree from Fitzwilliam in 1982 led her to pursue a successful career in banking and gave her the background to form her own credit fund management company, managing assets of over three billion Euros.
Some people say that it is strange that an English graduate went into banking which tends to be a technical business. This is only partly true, as banking is a broad church with many different functions.
entrepreneurial step and established a new credit fund management company called ‘New Bond Street Asset Management’ (a Limited Liability Partnership). Admittedly this move into fund management is not a totally new departure – more an evolution from investment banking as the product base is similar. However, there are significant new challenges involved in organisation, product development and distribution. Several of my former colleagues joined me in what is really a low risk hedge fund. We trade debt obligations issued by corporates, sovereigns, banks and Asset Backed Securities (pools of repackaged assets) and offer funds to banks, pension funds, insurance companies and other hedge funds worldwide. We currently have Euro 3.6 bn of assets under management. I have been very fortunate in working with some marvellous international people, and this is particularly true of the sponsors of our fund, an Icelandic bank called ‘Kaupthing’. They are our corporate partner and provided seed capital for our business. Kaupthing is one of the world’s top eight fastest growing banks and a member of the top two hundred largest banks. Their financial acumen has helped Icelandic corporates to buy some of our best known high street names such as Hamleys toy shop, Goldsmiths, the jewellery retailer, Iceland Foods (now part of the Big Food Group) and Karen Millen the women’s apparel chain. Iceland is a wonderful place to visit and since I am always keen to try new things I was delighted to go fishing (with, amongst others, Karen Millen herself ), white water rafting and riding in this fascinating country. Nevertheless my love of books has not left me since I have written and edited two financial textbooks and lectured at international seminars from Helsinki to Hong Kong. I often joke with my colleagues that we should collectively write a novel based on our experiences in the City, the only problem is that people would regard it as pure fiction!
The question that troubled me at University was, “What career could I pursue having studied English Literature?” What did it qualify me to do? Twentyfive years later I am glad to say quite a lot. I left Fitz in 1982 and started work with a US Bank. After progressing through a number of product and marketing roles in debt capital markets I became Head of the Debt Division of a major German Bank and Joint General Manager of the London Branch. Some people say that it is strange that an English graduate went into banking which tends to be a technical business. This is only partly true, as banking is a broad church with many different functions. So what did I get out of learning English and my life at Fitzwilliam College? I have found English a very helpful base for my career because it provided analytical reasoning (essential in all businesses), the ability to reduce complex ideas to summary form and the skill to write marketing material for international consumption. At Fitz I had both friends and tutors who were foreign nationals. Amusingly my English tutor at Fitz, Eric Warner, also went into Investment banking! Later, this introduction to an international perspective served me well as I built up a department where we had twelve different nationalities working in three different locations (Berlin, London and Dublin). To generate business I travelled weekly to Berlin (literally driving through the Brandenberg Gate) to our HQ in the old East Berlin. I also spent a lot of time in Central Europe, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic working with local banks to open up their markets to foreign investment and create efficient financial entities borrowing on the international capital markets. Nevertheless, success wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of specialist training which the Americans gave me (finance, accounting etc) and something else critical to many career paths – a commitment to lifelong learning and an ability to reinvent oneself! Now why do I say this? Well Zoë with ghillie and first catch ( a salmon), Iceland I recently took a more Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m a Fitzwilliam man – or woman, as the case may be. Two articles follow: The first reports the achievements and aspirations of Silke Pichler, a postgraduate student at Fitzwilliam and a marathon and triathlon competitor and the second features the triumphant Fitzwilliam “Chariots of Fire” team.
Silke running a half marathon in New York, 2003
Silke and the Ironman Austrian born, Silke Pichler is studying for an MPhil in Computational Biology in order to acquire expertise to extend her research on the genetics of Drosophila. Her three-year fellowship from the Austrian Academy of Science funds both her work and her hobby. She is a long-legged, 177 cm, extremely fit, 32 year old athlete who competes seriously in marathon, triathlon and ironman competitions. She first took up running in High School but didn’t compete in competitions until much later. As a PhD student in Heidelberg, she practised cycling and running on the forest tracks of the Odenwald. Last year she qualified for the Half Ironman World Championships by becoming third in her class at Longleat in September and clocking the qualifying times: cycling 56 miles in 3h 20; swimming 1.2 miles in 45 minutes and running 13.1 miles in 1h 33. So, in November she joins one hundred other athletes from around the world and heads for Florida for the World Championships. Silke doesn’t just do ironman distances; in August 2005 she was third in the London triathlon Olympic distance (swimming 1500m, cycling 40 km and running 10 km). She took first place in the Cambridge triathlon in her group and was fifth overall, winning a gold medal and also won “the Picnic”, a full marathon distance cross-country race held outside London. She was second in the Humber Bridge half marathon, a thirteen-mile race that includes crossing the Humber Bridge. She ran both the New York marathon and the Boston marathon in 3h 13, coming in the top three percent of runners. Her times will guarantee her a Championship place in the London marathon so she will start out front with other fast runners. All this isn’t achieved without effort. She runs and swims each day for two hours, cycles for 5–6 hours at weekends and does strength training twice a week in the gym. Last year took its toll with three marathons, two cross-country races, four half marathons, one half ironman, a National aquathlon (running and swimming) and two
Olympic distance triathlons. When asked last year about the state of her body she said, “Aching at the moment”. This year, she plans to be more selective so she can perform better at the World Championships, resting more and working towards an improved performance. Her coach, Tim Williams, at the Cambridge Triathlon Club, is helping her achieve this. It isn’t just physical preparation; there is mental preparation as well. In a triathlon the distinct stages have to be performed correctly or time penalty points are awarded. The event begins with the swimming where a neoprene suit is worn over the shorts and vest needed for the other disciplines. After the swim, the competitor runs into the transition zone shedding the suit and picking up their cycle helmet. The bicycle is pushed from the zone and at a certain point they mount the bike and slip their feet into the shoes. The correct route must be cycled to the next transition zone where the cycle is abandoned and running shoes donned for the final leg. Her next ambition is to break through the threehour time barrier for the marathon and be in the first ten in the triathlon championships. She would eventually like to complete in the Olympics under the Austrian flag. This is within her reach. Her current time of 3h 13m is a good basis to improve from and she is sure she can become faster. She will work on better body preparation with full hydration the day before a race and a balanced diet with plenty of soya (she is a vegetarian) and powergel during the race to keep energy levels up. She will choose her races, preferring European marathons (no jet lag) and with the support of colleagues to boost her performance. She will concentrate on time and pace, knowing that to achieve a time of 3h 13m, each mile must be completed in 7.3 minutes. Proper cooling down time after the race is also important, keeping moving and using ice where necessary for tired muscles. We wish her the very best for a successful World Championship race!
Chariots of Fire
Edmund, Kaj, Peter, Richard and Andy proudly show off their trophy
This may conjure up visions of the 1981 film of the same name of two men chasing dreams of glory, featuring famous names such as John Gielgud, Ben Cross and Nigel Havers or it may bring back memories of the famous score by Vangelis. Wrong! On 18 September 2005, a team of six represented Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge’s premier fun run (a relay race of 1.7 miles through the City Centre in aid of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice) and won the Collegiate Section.
Andy Bell (Mathematics 2003), Richard Benwell (History 2001), Kaj Bernhardt (Biochemistry 2003), Roman Roth (Classics 1996), Peter Tregear (Fellow and Director of Music) and Edmund Ward (Materials Science 2004) finished seventh overall with a time of 57.10; not bad considering there is provision for 420 teams of six. So Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, your memory lives on as we salute a victorious Fitzwilliam team.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
running • 11
In the running
law students • 12
Taking the law into their own hands Three law students talk about the benefit of work experience placements courtesy of the help of Members. Ian Redfearn worked in America at a specialised State Government Public Policy Institute, Hyo Joo Kim spent two weeks in Sydney in the chambers of Peter Semmler QC (Law 1969) and Richard Gal assisted with the preparation of motions to the court for the appeal of an offender on Death Row in Texas. All benefited greatly from the experience and would like to thank the College alumni and the College for grants from College Travel Funds.
Capitol Campus in Olympia
Hyo in Peter Semmler’s office, overlooking Sydney Harbour
Richard near Lake Placid
If any other Member from the wider Fitzwilliam community could help a current undergraduate with a work experience placement, advice about a career or even as a contact in a new place, please get in touch. The above reports illustrate how useful work experience placements can be to the students and we would like to build up our list of alumni who can offer help.
Ian Redfearn (Law 2004) Ian, with an interest in the criminal justice system, spent four weeks at the Washington State Institute for Public Policy at Olympia, south of Seattle. The Director of the Institute, Roxanne Leib had spent a year in Cambridge at the Institute of Criminology and got to know Nicky Padfield (Director of Studies in Law at Fitzwilliam), thus the link. Ian’s remit was collating and checking data for a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of sex offender treatment programmes. He also did some work on a secondary project on the provision of educational services for immigrant students of High School age. He found the work interesting and was well received by the twenty or so colleagues at the Institute who came from a variety of backgrounds including public policy, economics, law and statistics. He found a room nearby and his landlady and other colleagues took him to see Mount St Helens volcano and other local sites of interest. He also went to the obligatory baseball game and visited Seattle. His trip to the States was organised with the assistance of British Universities North America Club (BUNAC) who helped with flights and paperwork. Hyo Joo Kim (Law 2004) Hyo hails from London and combined a month long trip to see relatives in Australia with a placement at the Sir James Martin Chambers in Sydney. It is the workplace of Peter Semmler QC, a distinguished Fitzwilliam Member (see Optima V) who is known internationally for two notable cases. In one historic case in 2001, he won record damages for a lady bar attendant, disabled by passive smoking. He was also in involved in Moran vs Moran, a case of domestic violence culminating in the suicide of the son, which made international headlines. Hyo has developed an interest in tort law (personal injury) and was able to spend some time in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, attend court with Judge Rolfe, a District Court Judge and talk to employees at the large practice. She also spent some time at Carroll and O’Dea, a local solicitors’ firm where she was able to sit in on
some client meetings. She attended a meeting with Qantas concerning their poor service to a disabled passenger, which resulted in profuse apologies but a pitiful compensation settlement from the airline. She was able to look at case histories and evaluate some of the differences between Australian and English Law. She even had lunch with some ex-Fitz members including Christopher Teague (Economics, 1976) and others. They questioned her about Fitz today including which pubs the students frequented and how the Boathouse appeal was going! Richard Gal (Law 2004) Richard, who has an interest in criminal law, found a placement with the Texas Defender System (TDS), a charity which advises those who seek to appeal on behalf of Death Row inmates in the State of Texas. A chain of contacts starting with Fitz alumnus, Michael Ross (MSt Criminology 2005) led to an eventual contact with John Nilaind, a capital punishment head attorney with the TDS, who took Richard on to assist in the preparation of the case to free Max Soffar. Soffar had confessed twenty-five years previously to the murders of several people in a bowling alley during a robbery. Questions had arisen concerning the validity of the statements, the competence of the lawyers and a number of other legal issues, leading to the granting of a re-trial. This is not unusual in the States. During Richard’s stay, he protested against the killing of Frances Newton, a black woman who had spent twenty-four years on death row. Despite protests she was killed by lethal injection while he was in the States. Texas is one of the States to still have the death penalty and three other people were executed during the three months Richard spent in America. Richard prepared motions for the court on various aspects of the Soffar case and even met the offender on a visit to Harris County Jail. Soffar wore an orange prison suit, his hands and legs were cuffed and there was thick glass between them. The offender had an institutionalised demeanour although was excited to have visitors and talked volubly for half an hour finishing by thanking Richard and the lawyers for working on his case. Richard found the encounter quite harrowing but the experience of working in Texas was invaluable. He learned about the American justice system, the ways of jury selection and the financing of appeals via charity donations. It was a tremendous introduction to his second year option on sentencing and the penal system. Flights, accommodation, subsistence and travel added up to over a thousand pounds so the grant from the Fitwilliam Travel Fund towards his costs proved extremely helpful.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
Alumni luncheon, Tanglin Club, August 2002
Paul Wakelin presenting Professor Johnson with the Tanglin Club shield
Professor Johnson with Dr Lee Suan Yew and the Tanglin Club shield
Setting up regional groups of Members on a worldwide basis has been looked at previously on an ad hoc basis but due to the sparsity of Fitzwilliam alumni living within a given radius, it has been difficult to achieve. The most active has been the Singapore Chapter, members of which have come together historically for visits from the Fitzwilliam Fellowship on a number of occasions. In 1993, Paul Wakelin (1958) joined with Dr Lee Suan Yew (1954) and Victor Chew (1950) to host cocktails at the Tanglin Club for any existing Fitzwilliam alumni they could track down when the then Master, Professor Alan Cuthbert visited with Irving Scott (1959). Professor Cuthbert also met up with Lee Kuan Yew (Dr Lee Suan Yew’s brother) who had read Law at Fitzwilliam House from 1946 –1949 and had gone on to have a distinguished career, eventually becoming Prime Minister of Singapore. He is now Minister Mentor and an Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College. In 1994 the Bursar, Christopher Pratt met up with alumni in Hong Kong and Singapore followed in 1996 by Nicky Padfield (Fitzwilliam Law Fellow) who visited a number of Junior Colleges in Singapore culminating in a dinner in the Prima Canton Restaurant attended by seven Members and coordinated by Nigel Penny (1966). The same year, Dr Robin Porter Goff (Life Fellow) and his wife undertook a Swan Hellenic cruise commencing at Singapore and entertained three different Members on board the M V Minerva. Nicky, as College President, went back in October 2000 to conduct entrance interviews and met up with Dr Lee Suan Yew, Victor Chew and Paul Wakelin in the Tanglin Club for a Singapore Members’ dinner. Chris also was back in Singapore in 2001 as a judge for the prestigious Asia Pacific Cup English Presentation Contest which is sponsored by Tsuzuki Sogo Gakuen and attracts thousands of entrants from High Schools and Universities throughout Asia. While there he
hosted a reception at the Tanglin Club for eleven Fitzwilliam Members. In 2002, Professor Brian Johnson, former Master, cemented the strong links with Singapore by attending an alumni luncheon and being presented with the Tanglin Club shield. Singapore is special. It is a small country (647.5 square kilometres) and although there are only seventy-four Fitzwilliam Members among its four million people, distances aren’t great if they want to get together. If you think of Australia (7,686,850 square kilometres) or the United States (9,629,091 square kilometres), Members are widely dispersed and distances are enormous so you have to think regionally. This is beginning to happen. The New York Chapter have now met twice; the Hong Kong Chapter, once and the Nashville Chapter have hosted a senior College Fellow. On a larger scale, Oxford and Cambridge Societies already have a presence all over the world. Indeed, Brian Johnson visited the Oxford and Cambridge Alumni Club of Andalucia recently after a chance conversation at the Bumps Supper in June with Ian Mortimer (1948). It led to his being guest on honour at a luncheon in November 2005 at the Al Andalus Hotel where he gave a talk on “Admissions to Oxbridge – the current state of affairs”.
Professor Johnson with Garcia Aranda (Profesor Titular, Dept of Inorganic Chemistry, Málaga University)
Returning to Fitzwilliam, we would like to identify nuclei of Fitz Members all over the world and are beginning to compile a list of foci and Members who will act as the point of contact, in the same way Paul Wakelin has kindly become for the Singapore Chapter. Would anyone interested in forming an alumni group or being the principal contact anywhere else in the world, let us know (e-mail Emma on emc26@cam.ac.uk). We can thus inform them of visits of College personnel and keep them up-to-date with College news and events. They may enjoy meeting up informally and it will all work to strengthen and unite the wider Fitzwilliam family.
Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)
singapore • 13
The Singapore Chapter
students swap • 14
Students swap The Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) was established in July 2000 with funding from the government and the UK private sector and a remit to: “Enhance the competitiveness, productivity and entrepreneurship of the UK economy by improving university-industry knowledge exchange.” Its educational programme includes the Undergraduate Student Exchange, now in its fifth year, where students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and those from Cambridge University in the UK are given the opportunity to study at the other institution for a year. Of the 37 MIT students here last year, one, Ben Schwartz, a Physics and Math major, exchanged with Steve Osborne from Fitzwilliam, a third year undergraduate reading Physics. Ben and Steve answer questions about the exchange:
Why did you choose to participate in the exchange? Ben: To experience something new and to see what it was like to be a student in a different educational system. Steve: I wanted a change from Cambridge. At MIT I could take courses other than Physics and choose which Physics courses to take. Also, I could travel around North and South America whilst there. Ben, did you have any choice in which college you came to and if so, why Fitzwilliam? Ben: There was a choice but I expressed no preference, as I had no idea what to expect. 2 out of the 37 MIT exchange students were reading Physics so I was swapped directly with Steve and ended up taking his place at Fitzwilliam.
Steve’s fraternity house
Steve by Golden Gate Bridge
How did the institutions, teaching and courses differ? Ben: Flexibility – Cambridge has a fixed curriculum for each course with some degree of flexibility whereas MIT is just the opposite. There are thousands of courses and a student has the freedom to choose.There are lists of specific requirements for subjects and you can attend a certain number of recommended courses to get a major, less to get a minor. So, in Cambridge, you choose a course, say Physics – apply and matriculate in that subject. In MIT, you sign up as a general student and attend any courses. At the end of the first year you make a “Declaration of intent” and choose your field. This means class sizes in the US are extremely variable due to the fluctuating interests of the students. A student usually studies for 3 years in Cambridge, 4 at MIT which allows for a more general education. Cambridge students are thus focused earlier and stay focused throughout. For instance, I am majoring in Physics but must take at least 8 classes in the Humanities. I am studying Spanish in addition to Physics while here. Finances – Tuition costs are ten times higher in the US. 72% of students receive financial aid while a few join the Forces just to go to University. To attend a top ‘private’ university in the US costs about £70,000 over four years. Teaching – In Cambridge there are only 19 weeks of lectures so each one is condensed and taken at speed. Copies of notes and presentation material are available and supervisions follow which serve to clarify any points not fully understood. At MIT,
there are thirty weeks of lectures and more lectures per week. The pace is slower and lectures are more interactive. I expect a Cambridge student would be frustrated by the lack of rigour at MIT. Steve: The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at MIT is a great idea and encourages undergraduates into research. You find a Professor in a field that interests you who is willing to take you on and you help them with their research. About 80% of the students do this at some point. You can choose any subject. Weekly assessments – At MIT, there are weekly assessments, so you have to put a lot of effort in to keep up with your work. You thus learn a lot more as a result. How did your accommodation differ? Ben: I had a beautiful room with a private bathroom on site. “It was not until I came to Cambridge that I learned what a lawn was really like”. MIT is a much more industrial setting and even the University buildings are functional and uninteresting. In Cambridge, I appreciated the beautiful buildings and stylish architecture. Steve: On MIT campus I would have just had a dorm room but I lived in a fraternity house. The house was in one of the wealthiest areas of Boston (near John Kerry’s house) and had five floors, a poolroom and employed a chef, five nights a week. Most rooms were doubles and I shared a huge room with two fridges, a Play Station 2 and a TV. To live in a frat you have to pledge and that involves you doing team-building activities with your housemates in the first term. My UK colleagues and I chose not to pledge, but they made us honorary Brothers anyway! How was student life different? Ben: The legal drinking age in the US is 21 so the formal halls here with wine were an eye-opener. There are no college bars at MIT and OK, students drink, but not openly. In the States, we celebrate with a meal out; in Cambridge we went out drinking. If you want to drink at MIT, the fourth years (already 21) buy the alcohol and it is consumed quietly behind closed doors. The other difference is that MIT is a specialist Science and Engineering University when here I mixed with a complete cross section of students from every discipline. Steve: People in our house were from all over the US (mostly Texas, Florida and California). The frat system means that your Brothers will help you with your work if you are failing a class or fix you up with a date for a house formal if you don’t have one or help you mend something that is broken. Were you able to explore your host country? Ben: Not as much as I would have liked. I went to France in June with Cadenza, a University capella group that I sang with, based at St John’s. I spent
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Ben on the ‘Cambridge Hitch’.
Ben and Steve did not meet.
Competition winners The Reverend Stuart Rhodes (1955), winner of the competition in Optima VII, visited Cambridge, with his wife, Veronica in September and stayed at the Cambridge Garden House Moat House. Stuart read Theology (Wesley House) and recalls a wonderful occasion when he chanced upon hearing Albert Schweitzer playing the organ in King’s College Chapel during his first year. They very much enjoyed visiting the exhibition of religious manuscripts in Fitzwilliam Museum while here and were returning home to tell their friends they had seen the Cambridge illuminations! Dr Christopher McGuigan (1982) won the crossword competition in Optima VIII. Chris is a Clinical Epidemiologist in Scotland and won a two for the price of one, whale-watching trip in Azores, courtesy of Sarah Bennett (1989) of Archipelago Azores (www.azoreschoice.com). Chris and Andrea plan to visit the Azores in July and we hope to feature a photo of their trip in a subsequent magazine.
What do you think you got out of the exchange? Ben: It is easy to get burned out in the US as we work all the time. The change of scenery freshened me up and I’ve returned with renewed energy. Steve: I want to keep in contact with the guys in the house and go back and visit them. I did things I could never have done in Cambridge and I did more travelling. I got to know some leading researchers in my field which will be a big help if I go on to do research.
What are your best/worst memories of your time away? Ben: The Bumps, sitting in the buttery and talking to new friends, doing things I would not have done in the States like ‘The Cambridge Hitch’. I hitched from Cambridge to Morocco in five days for charity. We don’t hitch much in America due to the perception of danger. My worst memory was finding my way around cities. I am used to a grid system so navigation was difficult with all the narrow, unsigned streets. Steve: Living in the frat house and getting to know the people there was great. I enjoyed my weekends in New York and Washington. Do you hope to return to the country/institution of your exchange? Ben: I don’t expect to, but the academic world is small. I might end up as a Professor here! Steve: I’d rather live in the UK but go to graduate school in the US. They have much better facilities, more money and you can go on taking classes that interest you as well as core stuff.
Competition 2006 1
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Spot the destination of Brian-the-Goat, the travelling companion of Neil Rickards (1998). He is a well-seasoned traveller and correctly naming the four destinations in the photographs below may win you half a case of a very special wine. The prize is 6 bottles of “Goats do Roam” kindly supplied by Fairview Wines of South Africa (www.fairview.co.za), described as “juicy ripe red and black berry fruit with a dash of spice”. Goats do Roam is a favourite of the Billygoats and often appears on the menu at Boat Club and Fitz Society dinners. To enter, simple complete the form below with the name of the place or monument and the country where it is found and send it to Dr Sarah Coppendale at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge CB3 0DG by 30 June 2006. The winner will be drawn at random from all correct entries received by the closing date.
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Name: …………………………………. Telephone: ……………………...…….. E-mail: ………………....…………… Address: .……………………………………………………………………………..............…………………………………. List any Fitz members with whom you are in contact (to help us locate “lost sheep”): …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………....................................................…………………………………………………………………….
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five days in London at Christmas when my family came over. Steve: I spent Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas in New York and have also visited Washington. My advisor invited four of us physicists, for a weekend in New Hampshire where he has a house by the lake and we did kayaking, water skiing and sailing. I spent more time travelling around when term ended.
News and Events at Fitzwilliam
Emma Camps Events and Alumni Relations Development Office Fitzwilliam College Cambridge cb3 0dg telephone: + 44 (0) 1223 332034 email: events@fitz.cam.ac.uk
Career Networking Hopefully you will have seen the flyer about this new scheme in the Journal. We are appealing to our Members to join our database of professional experts who can offer careers advice, guidance and work experience to our current students. Fitz students will be able to view our Career Contacts’ profiles and send a message to them via the Fitz website. Huge thanks goes to Fitz Society President, Sarah Asplin QC who initiated the scheme. Sarah introduced the idea to Members who attended the London Drinks evening in February and already 100 Members have joined. Many thanks to all of you. The scheme will be officially launched in May. For it to be a success, we need your help. If you would like to receive a brochure containing full details, please contact the Development Office. Master’s Appearance in Chicago… At the end of October, the Master will be attending a conference at the University of Indiana in Bloomington. Whilst the Master is in the States, he would like to take the opportunity to meet with our Members. Therefore, he will be hosting a dinner in Chicago on Saturday 21st October. All Members and their partners are invited to attend. Invitations to our US Members will be sent shortly. Back to his Roots To celebrate his 60th birthday, the Master will be returning to New York, the place of his birth, for some festivities. The Master and Mrs Lethbridge invite our US Members and their partners to join them. On Friday 23rd February 2007, the Master will be hosting a three-course dinner at the Harvard Club. Invitations will be sent shortly to all our US Members. College Colours – Wear them with Pride If you represented Fitz in any sport at the highest level (ie first team or first boat), you have earned your College Colours. Ties and scarves are available to purchase by all those who are eligible. The design incorporates the lion from the College crest with a pattern of lozenges in Fitz colours. The silk scarf is 32" x 32" and costs £15. The ties are available in polyester and silk, they’re priced at £8.50 and £15. If you believe you are eligible, please send details of your team, the years you played, honours (ie Cuppers Winner) and positions (ie Captain, Treasurer) along with payment to the Development Office. Payment can be by credit or debit card or by cheque – payable to ‘Fitzwilliam College’. Transforming Tomorrow Cambridge University launched its 800th Anniversary Campaign in New York and San Francisco in November 2005 with two ‘Cambridge in America’ days. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Dr Alison Richard spoke on “transforming tomorrow” and the challenges faced by the University in order to remain a beacon of international excellence. At both of these events, Dr David Starkey (1964) gave the keynote address to a packed audience of alumni and their guests. David,
Local Overseas Chapters Fitzwilliam College has an established calendar of events in the UK, but events around the globe are currently few and far between. The Development Office is working hard to start Overseas Chapters that will give our Members the opportunity to meet with others in their area. A list of our new Overseas Chapters can be seen in the centre pages of the Journal along with details of the Local Contact. Already this year, the New York and Hong Kong Chapters have held events, the New South Wales Chapter is having a drinks evening in November and the Singapore Chapter is in the process of organising a social evening too. I hope to report on many more events throughout the rest of the year.
Dates for your Diary 4th May 2006 London Dinner 17th June 2006 Bumps Supper 24th June 2006 Past v Present Cricket Match 1st July 2006 Degree Day 16th Sept 2006 Prisons & Probation Dinner 22nd–24th Sept 2006 Reunion Weekend 21st Oct 2006 Chicago Dinner 25th Nov 2006 NSW Drinks Evening 23rd Feb 2007 New York Dinner For further information and tickets for musical events, please telephone the Porters’ Lodge on 01223 332000
a Bye Fellow of Fitzwilliam and a historian of world renown, spoke on the origins and early history of Cambridge University. We are proud to have such an ambassador for Fitzwilliam.
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David Starkey at the New York launch (Don Pollard)
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news & events • 16
by Emma Camps