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PALATINATE The official Durham University student newspaper since 1948
ISSUE 706 | FRIDAY 13TH MARCH 2009
PALATINATE.ORG.UK
CITY OF DURHAM COUNCIL
Chad’s Day celebrations get out of hand
James Inman
>> Traditional festivities result in damages Jess Pauley A NUMBER OF STUDENTS from St. Chad’s College have caused damage to property as a result of the college’s annual Chad’s Day celebrations. >>>The event, held on Thursday 26th February, typically involves a tradition of ‘invading’ other Bailey colleges en masse - waking up the members of other colleges very early in the morning. >>>It is recognised that the activities involved in this year’s invasions went beyond the limits typically tolerated, resulting in complaints from the heads of numerous other Bailey colleges, alumni, neighbours and even students. >>>Reports state that an array of damaging activity occurred throughout the day, including doors being broken down, paint thrown and a car wing mirror snapped. >>>Other reported incidents include the defacing of a painting, a historic museumgrade costume being tampered with and the unauthorised entry of students into both study and guest bedrooms. >>>In another case, costumes for Durham Opera Ensemble’s production of Carmen, that were being stored on a rail in Castle, were knocked onto the floor and covered in glitter and green paper. >>>Pedestrians are also understood to have been pushed aside during the event. >>>In an email to the students of St. Chad’s College, the Principal, Dr. Joseph Cassidy, said that he felt ‘“embarrassed” to be the college’s principal and felt that he had been “let down” by quite a few of the students. >>>Alistair Smith, the college President and Elizabeth Gorski, the vice-president, said in a statement to Palatinate: “Several students have been fined and the JCR has accepted responsibility for anything unattributable. We, as the JCR Exec, have also taken clear action to indicate that we expect a change of culture, and not just around Chad’s Day.” >>>Certain sanctions were imposed as a result of the events that took place. The
Exec decided to disallow any alcohol in both the Ladies’ and Gentleman’s Formals last week, and the college bar was closed on these nights too. >>>In an email sent out to all students in St. Chad’s by the JCR president, the alcohol bans were attributed to “the unacceptable culture that surrounded Chad’s Day, especially attitudes towards other colleges.” >>> The President also clarified with Palatinate that although the bar was not to blame for the invasions that took place, the Exec wanted to indicate their disapproval of all “alcohol-linked misbehaviour” in what was described as a symbolic gesture. >>>It is also understood that the traditional Principal’s Feast will not be held the evening before Chad’s Day in the future, to reduce the impact of the weekend. >>>The college’s JCR was closed for a number of days last week, though this situation was unrelated to the invasions and due instead to the mess that was left in the JCR, dining room and quad area. >>>Dr. Cassidy voiced concerns about the cumulative impact of the problems associated with St. Chad’s College in recent months.
Carmen costumes strewn across floor in University College >>>“Because of the theft by the previous bursar, the college is under intense scrutiny and is actually, institutionally, quite vulnerable”, he said. >>>“We do need to show that we’re capable of managing and controlling ourselves.” >>>The Principal agreed that Chad’s Day invasions should no longer take place.
Student campaign for IMAP e-mail access
University Chancellor Bill Bryson receives his award from the Mayor
Chancellor Bill Bryson made Honorary Freeman Vincent McAviney DURHAM UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR Bill Bryson was made an Honorary Freeman of Durham on Monday 2nd March. >>>Carol Woods, Deputy Leader of the City Council, proposed Bryson for his services to the arts and tourism, education, and his international commitment to, and support of, the City of Durham. >>>Along with football legend Sir Bobby Robson and sculptor Fenwick Lawson, Bryson was awarded this latest honour at a civic reception at Durham Town Hall. >>>Durham Mayor Grenville Holland remarked, “It is very unusual for three recommendations to be made in this way but these are unusual times. In the history of this council we want to mark this important year by honouring three special people to Durham.” >>>On receiving the honour, the university chancellor praised the city of Durham and its world class University. >>>“The real quality that sets Durham apart in my view, that no other city has in such abundance, is sincere, welcoming, consistent and boundless friendlessness”, he said.
>>>“You are really the most wonderful people in the world here. It is that above all else that makes me always glad to be here and very, very proud to be part of this city.” >>>A slight ‘wardrobe malfunction’ almost ruined the day, as Bryson set off from London with the trousers and jacket of different suits on. >>>“I’m not very good in the mornings”, he quipped. >>>“We crossed London but when we got to Kings Cross we were standing on the concourse ready to catch the train on good time and Cynthia looks at me with this look that only she ever has for me and says “Do you know that your jacket and your trousers don’t match?” >>>“I have two pinstripe suits, and I had on grey trousers and a blue jacket; I thought I’m just about to get on a train and go to Durham for one of the most important days of my whole life, and I’m going to look like a clown.” >>>His wife Cynthia managed to save him face by bringing the right pair of trousers up on a later train. >>>Bryson is the 22nd person, and the first American, to receive the honour since its
DURHAM STUDENTS HAVE begun a proposal to get ITS to change the university’s email system to add IMAP access, which will give undergraduates the same functionality as staff and research postgraduates. >>>There are two ways of accessing an email system: from an email client (such as Microsoft Outlook) on your computer, or through a webmail interface which allows you to visit any computer connected to the internet and deal with your email from there. >>>Most email providers, such as Hotmail and Gmain, offer a webmail service - but recently it has become standard to add the IMAP protocol, regarded the industry standard for email delivery. >>>However, ITS currently do not allow undergraduate students access using anything other than Outlook Web Access, which only has full functionality in Internet Explorer. >>>The first complaints were raised with ITS in October 2007, but no progress was made. The issue was finally brought to the university’s IT Users Group in February 2009, where a report into the issue, written by students, was requested. >>>ITS have been citing both security concerns and increased support levels for their reluctance to make progress on the issue. >>>Yet Durham University is the only university in the Times Top 10 not to provide IMAP for undergraduates. >>>DSU will be holding a council meeting on Monday to vote on the motion of whether or not supporting the campaign should become policy. >>>Campaigning students will be meeting with ITS management early next term.
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