optima - fitzwilliam college, cambridge · an interim report. one golden bond the golden...

The Master’s message

To return to Fitzwilliam, after my own eleven-year absence in other institutions, is to be struck by the College’s remarkable progress on everyfront. Former students who come back toCambridge after a much longer gap are initiallysimply awestruck by what has been achieved. They will need no reminding about how muchwe all owe to earlier generations whose hard work and personal commitment have contributedto the College’s development. But each new cohortof Freshers has their attention drawn to what wemust never take for granted: the extraordinaryaffection and generosity of Fitzwilliam’s alumni.

Time and again they have responded to theCollege’s needs, whether to fund awards, extra-curricular activities or facilities, not least in thewonderfully successful recent Appeal to allow us to construct a new Boathouse. The reinforcementprovided by such expressions of loyal support is one of the College’s greatest strengths as itconfronts the challenges ahead.

Optimaissue 9 • spring 2006

2 & 3 The Chaplaincy appealThe evolving role of a College Chaplainand ‘Friends of the Chapel’ day.College choir hope to touch achord A plea for help from the choir.

4 & 5 United by Fitz, divided byparty Three MPs answer questions. Art starts Beginnings of aFitzwilliam Art Society.

6 Taking strength from earlytragedy Sir Bryan Askew’s early lifeand how it shaped him.

7 A day in the life of a HeadPorter David Bannister reports onCollege changes during his twelveyears as a porter.

8 Remembering Fitzwilliam All about legacies and the benefit thatcan be derived from them.

9 Fitzwilliam Annual FundAn interim report.One golden bond The goldenanniversary row of a veteran squad.

10 Money makes the world goaround Zoë Shaw’s degree inEnglish led to a career in banking.

11 In the runningSilke and the Ironman Silke Pichler’saspirations to be an Olympic runner.Chariots of Fire Fitzwilliam’s winningteam.

12 Taking the law into their ownhands Three law students benefitfrom work experience placements.

13 The Singapore ChapterSingapore provides a template foroverseas chapters of Fitzwilliamalumni.

14 & 15 Students swapTwo students, one from MIT and onefrom Fitzwilliam, change place.Competition Winners of thecompetitions in Optima VII & VIII and a new one.

16 News and events atFitzwilliam The diary for 2006 byEmma Camps.Transforming TomorrowDr David Starkey gives the keynoteaddress in New York.

CONTENTS

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

appointed to a Chair at Royal Holloway, University

of London, where he was successively Head of

Department, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice-

Principal. 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!).

This issue of Optima is further testimony of whatthat alumni support means in practice. For theCollege’s achievements collectively are inseparablefrom the rich and diverse experience of individualstudents past and present. They are distinguishingthemselves in all aspects of College life, making it unsurprising that they are making majorcontributions to different ‘real’ worlds beyondCambridge after they graduate. This takes them not only to rewarding careers but also to many far-flung parts of the globe, as befits the internationalcommunity Fitzwilliam has been since itsfoundation.

We are committed to maintaining what is specialabout Fitzwilliam. In that respect, 2006 representsa key moment in our collective thinking about thefuture. The introduction of top-up fees, from thiscoming October, will obviously increasinglydisadvantage many Fitzwilliam students (and theirfamilies). The more profound significance of thiscan only be grasped if it is put in the same frame as the political and financial pressures on theOxbridge collegiate model of higher education.Does anybody really believe that, in ten years’ time,the taxpayer will consider it a priority to fund theparticular experience traditionally offered to itsstudents by the College? And how will Fitzwilliamitself compete in attracting the most promising and the most talented against the richer colleges?

These are highly important issues for the Collegeand we are going to have to involve our entirecommunity of lifelong members to ensure thatFitzwilliam continues to prosper.

I look forward to meeting many of you as we take forward this great project.

co

ll

eg

e c

ha

pl

ain

• 2

Fitzwilliam College is an Exempt Statutory Charity (Inland Revenue No. x11732)

Every Chaplain brings his/her own style of ministryto the post. The current Chaplain is Simon Perry, a Baptist by trade, who has extended the spiritualand pastoral role of his Chaplaincy to overseeingthe running of a café; 24/3 meetings where studentspray for life in the College and the world beyond;organising discussion groups of controversialissues; fielding and uniting the different faithelements within the College; speaking on a rangeof issues on the Alpha course; rowing stroke in the2nd Men’s VIII, coaching several boats and coxinga Ladies’ VIII. These activities combine fellowshipand service of others with spirituality and worshipand have touched a chord with those who study andwork here. Edward Simpson, an undergraduate(Natural Sciences 2000), now postgraduate says,“Since coming, I have seen these groups – the ChristianUnion, Fusion, the Chapel community – all grow instrength, and become more unified. This is both a hugeencouragement and a sure sign that God is really workingin Fitz, through the Chaplain”.

FitzCafé operates every Friday as a friendly andinviting place to spend time on a Friday night.Occasionally live music is featured (AcousticCafé)and it additionally opens to coincide with CollegeEntz events. Hot drinks and toasted sandwichesare served for some twenty to thirty people on anormal Friday, rising to fifty plus on an Entz night.Four students head the management teamoverseen by the Chaplain and they are responsiblefor buying stock, organising the helpers’ rota,cashing up and washing up.

It has no strings attached and those who lead itgive up their time freely, motivated by a concern toknow Christ through the service of others. Whoeverwants to be great among you must become your servant(Matthew 20:26). The vision statement for the caféframed on the order desk is the only outward signof its Christian purpose.

Where possible produce is bought through‘Fairtrade’. Any profit is either re-invested in thecafé or given to charities supported by the Chapel.Occasionally, free food is given away at thediscretion of the Committee – to Freshers at theStaircase party (start of year) or as profit to pay forfree meals for those attending the Alpha course.

Being involved with café allows students fromFitzwilliam Chapel and other churches to meet upand spontaneous theological discussions mayoccur but the students who work in FitzCafé sharethe same vision, to serve the College and theirneighbours.

The international Alpha courses provide anopportunity to explore the Christian faith in aseries of talks addressing key issues. The one atFitz was staged for eight weeks during the Lentterm aimed at students from the colleges on thehill (Churchill, Fitzwilliam and New Hall). Itstarted with a communal meal and talk and thenthose present broke into discussion groups to chat

over coffee. It was funded partly by local churchesbut also by Fitz students in the Christiancommunity who made anonymous donations andraised £250. Some fifteen to twenty-five studentsattended regularly, different speakers and topicswere covered each week with Simon leading threeof the sessions. Such a lot was learned from theexperience both from the educational point of viewand from making new contacts that it is hoped itwill be repeated.

24/3 Prayer occurs every term and comprisesthree days of prayer in the Chapel crypt. The cryptis decorated with inspirational material: maps ofthe world, pointers for prayer, texts and blankpages on which to write messages. The days andnights are divided into hourly slots and studentssign up to pray for an hour, alone or with a cellgroup. Prayers are said for specific causes,requests, world issues and for those immediatelyaround them. It climaxes with a special service,held in the Chapel on a Friday called ‘BeyondBelief ’. Vicky Robb (Theology 2003) and on theFitzCafé Committee says, “Two of the most positiveChristian experiences I have had since being here have beenoverseen by our current Chaplain; the ‘Friday night café’where Christians of different denominations work togetherto serve the College and ‘24/3 prayer events’, where all theChristians of the College are united in prayer for theirpeers. The Chaplain is essential to this process, deeplyimportant to the spiritual fabric of Fitz”.

Beyond Belief is a service and a half to mark theend of the three days of prayer. The Chaplain leadsit aided by some of the students; it has no writtenorder of service and no choir; it uses multimedia,video clips, DVDs and music; it is attended by themajority of Christians in College who bringfriends, doubling the usual student congregationand is a celebration of belief.

Simon found getting to know students initially ahard nut to crack. He made a deliberate decision tobecome involved with rowing so he could get toknow them as friends and colleagues and take themystery away from time spent with a Chaplain. Ithas made him accessible.

He has friends among the rowers and it has theknock-on effect of meeting their non-rowingfriends on an informal basis. He does not live onsite, but can spend leisure time furthering hisministry in an unobtrusive way.

Finally, a plea from Katie Orchel (Geography2003), “Many colleges have scrapped their resident collegeChaplain, however, here at Fitzwilliam we are fortunate tostill have one. The Chaplain is a key figure in College whobridges and networks the myriad social and spiritualgroups in Fitzwilliam – a key asset for any college. Thisunique role is in danger of extinction because we do nothave the funds! Please give now to ensure we can have apermanent College Chaplain!”

For more information on giving to the ChaplaincyFund, please turn to the centre pages.

The evolving role of a College Chaplain

Simon Perry, Fitzwilliam Chaplain

Preparing toasted sandwiches at FitzCafé

In 2002, Fitzwilliam Collegelaunched an Appeal tosafeguard the post of CollegeChaplain in perpetuity(Optima II). The ambitioustarget of £450,000 wasannounced, the interest fromwhich would cover a three-quarter’s time post and all the annual costs. The Fund,started by the transfer of anendowment had reached themagnificent sum of £243,188by the end of March 2006, dueto the addition of 339donations. Those individualswho had donated £50 or moreto the Fund were designated ‘A Friend of FitzwilliamChapel’. They now numberover 100. The response hasbeen tremendous but morefunds must be realised by 2008when the endowment mustcover the full cost of the post.

fr

ie

nd

s o

f t

he

ch

ap

el

/c

ol

le

ge

ch

oir

• 3


On a beautiful autumn Saturday a number of‘Friends of Fitzwilliam Chapel’ joined Fellows andstudents for a day of celebration of the Chapel andall it stands for. “Friends” were welcomed with teaand coffee before attending a service of worship inthe Chapel. The Reverend Dr Simon Perry, CollegeChaplain led the service basing his readings andprayers on the theme of welcome (John IV). Thechoir performed a beautiful musical programmeranging from Rutter’s, “The Lord bless you and keepyou” to Gershwin’s, “I got rhythm ”. Dr DavidThompson, President of the College, thanked thechoir for their superb recital, extending hisgratitude to Dr Peter Tregear, Director of Music,and lunch was served.

The ever-industrious Fitz kitchen staff produced asuperb buffet in the Walter Grave room whereconversation and wine flowed freely.

After lunch, presentations took place in theTrust room, led by the Master, Professor RobertLethbridge who stated the case for safeguardingthe post of College Chaplain. The Chaplain spokeon his role and how fundamental it is forpreserving and evangelising the Christian faith inthe College. The talks were summed up by DrThompson who led the vigorous discussion thatensued. The day ended with tea and coffee and afeeling of a day well spent.

The Reverend Derek Duckworth (1949) wrote tothe Chaplain afterwards, “I shall remember andtreasure the day in the future”.

Think of Cambridge. Think of choirs. King’s andSt John’s probably spring to mind. Fitz is missed.Yet, the choir has grown in strength andreputation, swelled by choral scholars from NewHall who have no choir, nor Chapel of their own.The choristers may be sopranos, altos, tenors orbasses (SATB); they may study subjects fromMaths to Medicine but they are all united in theirlove of music, usually playing several instrumentsas well as singing and giving their time andexpertise, freely. They have recently cut their firstCD in order to reach a wider audience and enhancetheir profile.

They perform at College events such as theReunion and Commemoration dinners, they singwith other choirs and combine with otherorchestras in wonderful concerts and they sing atChapel services every Sunday in term time. Theirgifts are great and their needs are few but they doneed help to achieve some modest aims.

Choral scholarships – Six of the Fitzwilliamstudents and another six from Newhall are inreceipt of choral scholarships. Sounds grand but itis the recognition of their skill rather than hugefinancial reward. They get £100/year! DavidKnight, President of the Fitzwilliam Music Society,has sung since a boy as a church chorister andperformed in various cathedrals become comingto Fitz.

The others have similar backgrounds. Theircollective expertise is impressive. Then there arethe organ scholars. There is a junior, Alex Westand senior, Ellie Goodfield.

They are responsible for setting the music forthe choir, overseeing practices and training (withthe help of the choral scholars) and organising allthe events and concerts that the choir are involvedin. They also receive the princely sum of £100/year.

OK, it all sounds good on your CV, adds anotherstring to your bow, but rarely can they go on toperform professionally due to the precarious lifeled by professional musicians. They do it becausethey love it.

The first need is a few more choral scholarships.To endow a choral scholarship, and it can benamed after a specific benefactor, an endowmentof £2,500 is needed (£1953 with gift aid) whichwould derive revenue of £100 pa. The ideal choirhas six sopranos, six altos, four tenors and sixbasses. At present, only some of these can beawarded choral scholarships. Wouldn’t it be greatto have enough for each choir member?

Fitz choir is good and wants to get betterknown. Its aims are stability, satisfaction,enthusiasm and musical integrity. They would liketo have a piece of music commissioned for them.A short SATB may cost as little as £4,000 and theyneed a sponsor. They already have somecomposers in mind.

College is helping with some of their needs.When they sing out of term time, for Christmasconcerts and at the Reunion, the College are ableto provide free out-of-term accommodation.Subsidised halls are available and a grant from theJMA to help with running costs. Other things, likethe tours (they would ideally like one UK and oneoverseas tour each year), sheet music andinstrument repair are helped by Funds already inplace donated by kind benefactors. But moresponsorship is needed so they can really achievetheir potential.

Please help them reach the right note andelevate the name of Fitzwilliam choir up therewith the best in Cambridge. If you would like to help the choir, please contact Sarah([email protected]).

‘Friends of the Chapel’ Day,29 October 2005

College choir hope to touch a chord

Ellie Goodfield conducting the choir

Alex West (Junior Organ Scholar)

Choir singing in San Augustino, Italy, 2005

The late Professor Norman Pounds (HonoraryFellow of Fitzwilliam) with Katie Orchel(Geography 2003)

un

it

ed

by

fit

z•

4


United by Fitz, divided by party

on my fading knowledge of medieval Englishpoetry on the doorstep in Leigh!

Vince Cable: I was in a politically active generationat Fitzwilliam, a year behind Norman Lamont,whom I followed as President of the Union. Theskills of debating and political writing I acquiredas an undergraduate.

David Wilshire: I was not politically active atFitzwilliam. However, a higher degree is a greatasset in a wide range of jobs.

Why did you choose your party?

Andy Burnham (Labour): In our family, footballand political allegiances are chosen for you. So Iknew I was an Everton supporter and Labour froman early age. But I decided to go further and jointhe Labour Party in 1985, a time when our part ofthe North West was reeling under the actions ofthe then Government. I saw Labour as standingfor the common good over individual privilege. Ibelieve that today as strongly as I did then.

Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat): I was a liberal asa student, attracted by the party's internationalism,classlessness and freedom from vested interests.After failing as a student to achieve an alliancebetween the University Liberal Club and themoderates in the Labour Club, I left to join HaroldWilson's Labour Party. I was there for fifteen years- interalia as a Glasgow Councillor and thenspecial advisor to John Smith – until the ‘civil war’of the early 1980s, when I rejoined what is now theLib Dems (then the SDP/Liberal Alliance).

David Wilshire (Conservative): Because I love mycountry much as it is and believe in our culture,history and traditions and consider thatresponsible capitalism offers the best route toincreasing prosperity for all – and because I detestsocialism in whatever guise it dresses itself up andbecause I deplore politicians who try to be allthings to all people.

What is most important thing you would likeyour party to achieve?

Andy Burnham: I'd like to see us close the north-south divide for good, spreading life chances andgood health equally throughout the country. In myview, one of the best ways of achieving this in thelong-term, and tackling a whole range of othersocial problems along the way, is to raise thestaying-on rate at sixteen in areas like the one Irepresent to the same level as in the country'smost affluent areas. On the international stage, Itake great pride from the lead this Governmentcontinues to set in increasing overseas aid,reforming trade rules and wiping out debt.

Vince Cable: Power at national level. We havemade enormous strides in parliament and local

Vince was President of the Cambridge Union after Norman Lamont (Economics 1961).Although originally in the Labour Party (Glasgowin the 1970s), he joined the fledgling SDP in theearly 80s and became Liberal Democrat MP forTwickenham in 1997. He is the Liberal DemocratShadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, sits on anumber of Parliamentary groups dealing withissues from adoption to overseas developmentand pensions to pulmonary hypertension.

He is a keen ballroom dancer.

David was elected MP for Spelthorne, Middlesexin June 1987. During his eighteen years as aConservative MP he has served as a UnitedNations Election Observer in a number ofcountries and has been Parliamentary PrivateSecretary to the Ministers of State for DefenceProcurement (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 amateurcider maker.

Vince Cable (Economics1962) Liberal Democrat MP

David Wilshire (Geography1962)Conservative MP

Why did a Cambridge education as a student atFitzwilliam College aid your career as an MP?

Andy Burnham: I loved my time at Fitz and feel itset me up well for the future in so many ways, notleast in introducing me to my wife, Marie-France(SPS 1989). My Cambridge education has certainlystood me in good stead along my career path, butI don't think it gave me any particular advantagewhen seeking selection as a Parliamentarycandidate. I have to say I have not yet had to call

Andy was elected as Labour MP for Leigh, GreaterManchester in June 2001. He has served on theHealth Select Committee and was ParliamentaryPrivate Secretary to David Blunkett (when he wasHome Secretary) between 2003 and 2004. In May2005 he was appointed Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State at the Home Office and hasspecific responsibility for identity cards, refugeeintegration, E-borders and extradition.

He is interested in football and is an Everton fan.

It has been called ‘the Cambridge mafia’: 10% of those elected as Membersof Parliament (MP)s in the 2005 elections were educated in Cambridge andthis statistic has remained constant over the last three parliaments.Fitzwilliam currently has six Members, only pipped at the post by ClareCollege, 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 acommon education but divided by the parties they serve, give their answersto five questions. In alphabetical order, they are:

Andy Burnham (English 1988)Labour MP

un

it

ed

by

fit

z/a

rt

st

ar

ts

• 5

Art starts

Graeme Barnes (Geography 2002), stonesculpting

government and have the highest representationin parliament since the 1920s. I now want us to beseen as a party of government.

David Wilshire: Get rid of the current dreadfulPrime Minister and appalling Government, that isdestroying this country’s culture and traditions.

How do you think you, personally, can make adifference?

Andy Burnham: It's a privilege to serve as aminister in the Government and I'm everconscious that the decisions I make will have adirect impact on people's lives. This is particularlytrue of the Home Office. At every level of politics, Ihave found that it is possible to make a difference- but that change takes time, determination and apositive outlook. All three main parties shouldwork together more to tackle the corrosivecynicism about politics and politicians. In myexperience, very few on any side are in it entirelyfor themselves.

Vince Cable: As my party's Shadow Chancellor myjob is to ensure that we are economically credible;and I think we are achieving that.

David Wilshire: By providing my 70,000constituents (whoever they voted for) with the

quality of service and representation they areentitled to expect from an MP.

What would you say to those students who wishto pursue a career in politics?

Andy Burnham: I'm sure I was no different tomany students interested in politics in that Iwanted to go straight in and do all the glamourstuff such as writing pamphlets, speeches andpress releases for leading politicians. All of that ispossible, but there is no substitute for rolling yoursleeves up and getting out campaigning at a locallevel. That's the best way to earn your spurs andget 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 – inbusiness, government, academia and internationalorganisations – being an MP is the one that hasgiven me by far the greatest level of jobsatisfaction. But you have to be patient and needstamina (it took me 27 years from my first bid forparliament to when I was first elected in 1997).

David Wilshire: Get some experience in the realworld first and resist the temptation to become aSpecial Adviser, party official or other politicalanorak.

In 2004, Fiona Mackay (Geography 2000) decidedthat there was something lacking at Fitzwilliam.Students with artistic leanings needed to be ableto express themselves, students without themdeserved the chance to “have a go” and for thosewith pre-exam stress, it would provide a welcomediversion. With a temporary studio and lots ofenthusiasm, fitzART was born and has beengrowing ever since. This year sees an art studiounder construction in Wychfield Lane, alongsidethe College, for ongoing projects and individualuse while classes continue to be held in theGaskoin room.

On Monday evenings there are Life Drawingclasses with a hired model; on Tuesdays regularart classes take place led by a visiting artist andwhen mutually convenient, groups of five or sostudents at a time attend a stone carver’sworkshop for tuition in stone sculpting.

Plans are afoot to re-equip the dormant darkroom for photography and also to start potteryclasses. Successful exhibitions, demonstratingstudents’ and Fellows’ prowess at sculpture, lifedrawing, photography and watercolour, have beenheld for the last two years and more are plannedfor the future.

The Society now has a committee, they havewritten a constitution and a five-year plan. Theyare applying for Senior Society status from theJMA Executive Trustees and, if successful, it willbring with it some assured funding and getfitzART on to a firm footing. Art was a voidwaiting to be filled. Numbers and interest aregrowing and with nurturing, fitzART will joinfitzTheatre and fitzMusic in creating opportunitiesfor every student in addition to their strictacademic regimes.

In Optima VII, at the request of Graham Nutter(1966), the location of his vineyard in France waspublished with an invitation for any Fitzbillies to visit. One has done just that!

Here is Brian Heath (1953) on the left, atChâteau St Jacques, being well received byGraham in June 2005, as his first visitor from Fitz.

Website: www.chateaustjacques.com

Nutter’s noteheeded


Dr Sarah CoppendaleThe Editor

Development Office

Fitzwilliam College

Cambridge cb3 0dg

telephone:

+ 44 (0) 1223 332075

email:

[email protected]

st

re

ng

th

fr

om

ea

rl

y t

ra

ge

dy

• 6


Taking strength from early tragedyBryan Askew (History, 1949)

Bryan Askew began life in a small mining villagein Durham County, living happily in a terracedhouse mortgaged from the colliery where hisfather 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 becomeoverheated by the sun. One of the soldiers, who had been a guest at their home for Sundaylunch, called Bryan’s father out to help. Herescued one miner but was burned to death whilereturning to check for survivors. He was thirty-six.

Bryan’s mother was left to bring up Bryan andhis sixteen-month-old brother on eighteenshillings a week benefit and went to work at thelocal Co-op store while his grandparents lookedafter his brother. At home, he moved on to thelocal Wellfield Grammar School, a co-educationalgrammar school of over five hundred children,drawn from fifteen pit villages. He was a brightchild and was able to skip a year. Things weretaking a turn for the better, until tragedy struckonce again.

On holiday in Northumberland in 1947, Bryancontracted polio and spent six weeks in isolationin a TB sanatorium at Berwick-on-Tweed. Anothercase was also identified in the locality, a boy ofeight from Holy Island. He died and Bryan’s lifehung in the balance with regular bulletins on hishealth being posted in the local paper. He was leftwith a severely weakened upper body and wastransferred to his local hospital. After a few weekshe became an outpatient having physiotherapy,electric treatment and wax baths four times a weekfor nine months. Back to square one at schoolafter the loss of a year’s schooling, his weakenedarms made writing difficult. Determined to gainstrength, he refused help from his well-meaningpeers and took up tennis to improve his grip andmusculature. The first few balls hit the racquetclean from his hands but by his final term atschool he was elected Tennis Captain on merit.

He feels these setbacks made him more resilientand able to cope with disappointments in later life,yet progress to the next challenge. Words becamean important weapon in his armoury, as his physicalactivity was limited. Arthur Scargill’s historic pleasto protect jobs for the miners were not beingheeded at this time, as parents looked for a betterlife for their children. Bryan was encouraged toseek academic success, took Higher SchoolCertificate in its last year and was awarded a MajorCounty Scholarship that brought him to Cambridgeand 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 thusexperienced war deprivation and the pain ofconflict. 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 aco-educational school in a pit village. At that time,Air Vice Marshall Sir Alan Rooke was Head of theUniversity Health Service and took a personalinterest in Bryan’s health. At the end of his firstyear, he went into Addenbrooke’s Hospital, nextdoor to Fitzwilliam House, and underwent anopponens graft, the first of its kind, to insert a oneand a quarter inch bone graft into his hand toenable him to grip.

It did allow him to write well enough to take notesbut it was apparent that the continuous writingrequired in the History Tripos papers, was out ofthe question. His Director of Studies, the late DrLeslie Wayper, offered him the choice of an aegrotatdegree (given to those whose medical conditiondoes not allow them to sit the examinations) or the help of amanuensis and he chose the latter. Hesat the exams in William Washington Williams’office, with Joanna Dannatt from Girton writinghis dictated answers. There was no allowance forextra time, the only concession being the arrival of cups of coffee! He achieved his degree. He loved his time at Fitzwilliam House, the excitingacademic environment, the shared digs andbedsits and mixing with a varied and interestinggroup of people.

A varied career followed, ranging from ICI, thesteel industry, running his own company and thenSamuel Smith’s Brewery from which he retired asPersonnel Director in 1995. He stood three timesfor parliament, never making it to government, so describes himself as a “failed politician”. Hiseleven-year span as part time Chairman of theYorkshire Regional Health Authority led to hisbecoming a Fellow of the Royal Society ofMedicine in 1988 followed by a Knighthood forServices to Healthcare in 1989.

More recently, he has concentrated on charitywork, as Chairman of both the TadcasterSwimming Pool Trust and the British PolioFellowship. He returns to Fitzwilliam when he is able and likes the feel of the new buildingsespecially as they weather in the now establishedgardens. He compares student life here with thatof his local University in Leeds, which he hasserved in a voluntary capacity for twenty threeyears, and hopes the students who come hereappreciate just how privileged they are.

Our congratulations go out to someone whocelebrated his Golden Wedding last year and hasrisen above adversity to make the very best of alife, beset with early tragedy.

Sir Bryan Askew

Sir Bryan Askew with Mrs Pat Solk, Chairmanof Leeds East Health Authority on theoccasion of a visit in 1998 to St James’sHospital by Ken Clarke, Secretary of State

STOP PRESS!Mark Arends BScMBChB PhDFRCPath, Readerin Histopathologyand Fellow ofFitzwilliamCollege, has been awarded one ofthe prestigious Pilkington Prizesfor 2006. The Pilkington Prizesrecognise excellence in teachingand were set up by the lateAlastair Pilkington, formerChairman of the CambridgeFoundation. The prizes aresupported by CambridgeUniversity Press.

Phot

o: Je

t Pho

togr

aphi

c

he

ad

po

rt

er

• 7


He was put up for auction in Rag Week; he hasdealt with fire alarms, burst pipes, hospitalisationsand bomb threats; he was part of the ‘Question of Sport’ team composed of Fellows and studentsthat attracted a large College-wide audience; hewas responsible for closing down an Entz eventwhich got out of hand and he was nominated onceas the students’ favourite person. Why? Because he made good curries! He has chased an ice-creamthief around the College grounds, observed acouple of streakers on the football pitch at the Cuppers Final at Grange Road and wasresponsible for Fitz becoming the first CambridgeCollege to employ women porters on an equalfooting to their male counterparts.

Two aspects of College life have changed sincehe started. First, it has become more intensive, not just for the students with more demandingcourses and more pressure to succeed, but also the day-to-day life of College with continualactivity in term time and vacation. Gone are thedays of “Sleepy Johns”, porters who moonlightedas taxi drivers on their days off and dozed on thejob when not busy. David even recalled visiting anOxford College (that shall remain nameless!)where there was a room attached to the Porters’Lodge where the camp beds reserved for studentvisitors were stored with one set up for the portersto have a kip. The number of Fitz porters grewfrom five to nine during his time, doing shiftsfrom 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 withthe rise in activity,controls andsafeguards have beenintroduced over theyears to make it asafer place to live andan easier place tolook after. A drinkscode was put intoplace eight years agoto prevent excessive

and potentially harmful drinking on the premises.The Manciple has the right to sample cocktailsthat should not exceed one part spirit to six partssoft drink; half a bottle of wine is the normallowed at student formals and students can nolonger bring in their own (unlimited) wine andjust pay corkage. This has reduced the number ofsore heads (or worse) after events such as ‘SuicideSunday’ (as the post exam celebrations areknown!).

Security has improved and gone are the dayswhen strangers could wander into College, such as the homeless person found sleeping in a vacantroom that came out sheepishly when challengedand was told “the game’s up”. Despite this, Davidnever felt unsafe or threatened on the site, evenwhen alone at night in the early days. Tokens, notcash, now work the slot machines, such as thelaundry machines and all doors are kept firmlylocked. A new security system has been recentlyinstalled throughout College that operates withcard access for staff and students alike.

One of his fondest memories was when 6’ 2”,Sarah Winckless (1993) returned at 2 am on thenight of her 21st Birthday. As he let her in, shepicked him up, kissed him and said. “I’m 21! I cando what I like!” His worst memories include a firealarm on Q staircase due to a camping fridgeleaking ammonia, leading to evacuation of theCollege and the fire brigade having to go inwearing breathing apparatus. More recently, aflood in the Grove caused by a dead squirrelblocking an internal gutter necessitated rescuingall the vital paperwork of a postgraduate studentbefore his work was ruined.

So, his days of welfare talks to the Freshersabout their responsibilities while here, hisorganisation of staff rotas, his participation in the Head Porter’s Association, his firedemonstrations to staff, organisation of first aidcourses, discussions about the merit of FulhamFootball team and his gripe that yet another callerhas confused the College with FitzwilliamMuseum, have ended.

He has left a worthy successor in the avuncular,John Goodacre, another member of the extendedFitzwilliam family.

A day in the life of a Head Porter

David Bannister retired at the end of September 2005. He was afamiliar figure to in excess of 2,000 past students in his pin stripedtrousers, white shirt, College tie and blazer and served the College fortwelve years. He began as a part timer and worked his way up to therole of Head Porter, the post he held for six years. He was a fatherlyfigure and used to say, “You have to like students to do this job” andonly considered candidates applying for a job as a porter who had alike mind. He found it best to measure the students against his ownchildren and he presided benignly over the Porters’ Lodge. He hassome tales to tell!

David Bannister in his o~ce

David Bannister and John Goodacre

David Bannister at his leaving party with the Fulham ‘starter’

re

me

mb

er

in

g f

it

zw

il

lia

m •

8

Remembering Fitzwilliam

Legacy income is an invaluable source of revenuefor any charity but only 5% of the British publicmakes a charitable donation in their Will, whereas67% support a charity in their lifetime. It may bethat making a Will is a daunting procedure andthe subject of death and its impact on dependants,a difficult subject to broach. It may be that the taximplications are not clear. Charitable gifts areexempt from inheritance tax.

Inheritance tax – the facts! The lower threshold limit for inheritance tax,

known as the Nil Rate Band stands at £285,000for the 2006/2007 tax year (£275,000 last year).

! If the value of your estate (that is all yourpossessions including your house) exceeds this,then on your death your heirs will pay a flat rateof 40% inheritance tax to the Government onthe excess.

! 98% of people found themselves liable forinheritance tax last year. If you own a detachedhouse (average price calculated as £285,697 bythe BBC News survey, February 2006) you willautomatically find yourself in this bracket.

! The Government estimated it would derive £3.4billion in revenue from inheritance tax in 2005/6.

Shouldn’t YOU decide who gets your money?Fitzwilliam College is a charity just like the RedCross or your local cats’ home. Any contributionfrom a Member, however great or however smallis valued. Even a small bequest will build up toform the large amounts needed every year by theCollege.

Jargon explained! A legacy/bequest/gift all mean the same,

something left for a recipient in a Will and canbe of any value.

! A codicil is a change to an existing will, anaddition without the need to re-write theoriginal Will.

! Testator/testatrix (M/F) is YOU, the personmaking the Will.

! Beneficiary is anyone who is a recipient of abequest.

There are various types of legacy from which tochoose:Pecuniary or Monetary legacy: This enables you todonate a specific cash sum. To prevent this beingreduced 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 ofthe value you originally decided, not whittled awayto a less significant amount.Residual legacy: This allows you to make a gift ofmoney 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 enablesyou to leave your assets in the hands of nominatedtrustees to provide for beneficiaries and

dependents during their lifetime. If you areworried about family members being adequatelyprovided for, this is a good choice. On their death,the residue or part or it would revert to theCollege.Specific or non-pecuniary legacy: This allows youto leave personal possessions to the College. Theymay be property, stocks and shares, works of artor other valuables. The College may be given theright to utilise them or realise their monetaryvalue.The value of bequests: Bequests ranging from£1,000 to £250,000 have significantly enhancedthe income of the College and aided its fantasticprogress over the last decades. Currently, about 80Members have indicated to us that they wish topledge a bequest to the College; some state thevalue, others just make the pledge. This form ofgiving is ever more important in view of thereduction in public funding. By increasing theCollege endowment it serves to increase thefacilities and academic opportunities to ourstudents and sustain the progress of your College.How your gift can help: If you decide to make abequest, you have the right to decide how youwish to see your gift directed, to the generalendowment or to a certain area that is particularlydear to you. A small sum can be left to name aCollege prize, a larger one may set up ascholarship, be directed towards an appeal or evenpay for a new building. Any Member who pledgesa bequest to the College becomes a member of the1869 Foundation and will be invited to thoseevents organised for its members.How to make a pledge: A legacy pledge form canbe found in the giving pages of this magazine. Apledge is neither legally binding, nor does it carryany legal obligation but it signifies to the Collegeyour intention. The knowledge that funds will beforthcoming allows us to plan for the future in amore informed manner. Whereas we are happy tohelp with information and confidential guidancein the matter of legacy pledges, legal adviceshould be sought in the preparation of your Will.Even if you already have a Will, a Codicil may beadded in favour of the College, should you wish todo so.

The Reverend Anthony Brown(Theology 1953) writes:“I decided to include a significantcapital sum as a bequest to theChaplaincy Fund of the College inmy Will because having been auniversity chaplain, although notin Cambridge, I recognise the value to the Collegecommunity of having someone who can provide a focusfor Christian witness and pastoral care; this can be seen as a sign that the College values its Christian roots.”

Mrs TraceyHancock(Geography1980) writes:“In bequeathingwhat I can, I feelthat I will be insome wayrepaying theCollege for its contribution to my life. Iam not wealthy by any measure and Iam sure my legacy will be outstripped byothers, but if it helps other students tobenefit from College life in any way itmust be worthwhile, however great orsmall. I am happy to let the Collegedecide how best to use it, for its needs inthe decades to come may well changefrom the present.”

Dennis Doyle (Music 1947) wasencouraged by a young concertpianist he had played with while onleave from fighting in the WesternDesert to ‘get into music’. After thewar, W S Thatcher (Censor,Fitzwilliam House, 1924 – 54)offered him a place and changedhis life. He has left a legacy toFitzwilliam to establish an organscholarship and says:“I feel that what I am doing in my

legacy, in establishing an organscholarship and leaving the College my‘cathedral’ and manual organ, my pianoand all my music is but a small ‘thankyou’ to the college for giving me such astart in my new musical life”.

“Death opens unknown doors”(John Masefield)

an

nu

al

fu

nd

/o

ne

go

ld

en

bo

nd

• 9


Fitzwilliam Annual Fund

In September 2005, Fitzwilliam College launchedits own Annual Fund. Regular donations wererequested from Members in order that Fitzwilliamcould keep up its well-established standard ofexcellence and build on the success the Collegehas enjoyed since it began 137 years ago. Visitorsto the College never fail to be impressed by theadvances made since it moved up to the currentsite in 1963. They are able to enjoy the beautifulcollection of modern buildings, set in attractiveand well-maintained gardens all enclosed by up-to-date student accommodation. We havemuch to be proud of and thankful for.

We appealed to our Members to make an impact on the success and direction of the Collegeby putting something back. We also profferedoptions. Those who kindly responded chosewhether they wished their gift directed towardsteaching, research, student support, prizes orbursaries. The majority were motivated by the need to support our students. It is widelyrecognised that students today, and even more so in the future, will find the cost of a Universityeducation prohibitive. Fees are set to rise so aidmust increase but debt will still put an additionalburden on our students and may even deter bright,able young people from coming to Cambridgealtogether. A profile of one of our students whoderives direct benefit from your support follows:

Katie Jones (Music 2003) came to Fitzwilliamfrom Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College inNorthwich, Cheshire, a huge state school for sixth form studies. There were over six hundredstudents in her year alone. Five only went on tostudy at Oxford or Cambridge. Her music teacherat secondary school had encouraged her to playthe French horn and she was in the National YouthOrchestra from the ages fifteen to seventeen. Shewanted to come to Cambridge having heard it wasthe 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 UniversitySymphony Orchestra) and listening to music toextend her knowledge of musical compositionsand of the people who write and play. For this, she needs not only a large number of course booksbut a variety of CDs and DVDs, the latter so shecan analyse film music. These are both expensiveto 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 byproviding extra practice as well as some welcomecash when they perform at student gigs. Katie is in receipt of an annual student support grant tohelp her through her studies here and she says:

“Student Hardship funds reduce the stress of living insuch an expensive city. They have undoubtedly helped mydegree course, as I’ve been able to buy course books withthis money. I am grateful to anyone who provides fundsfor students like me, as without them many state schoolstudents just wouldn’t survive in Cambridge.”

By mid-March 2006 eighty-nine donationstotalling just under fifteen thousand pounds have been received. Thirty of the donors havecompleted standing orders thus committingmoney 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 andrespond to our appeal for regular funds. We reallyneed to increase the percentage of Members whosupport the College and are very grateful to thosewho have already agreed to do so. Remember: Ifone in every five Members were to give £10/monthover a five-year period, it would raise over£750,000.

Make Fitzwilliam your favourite charity; afterall you have a vested interest! You can requestanother copy of the Annual Fund leaflet if youhave mislaid yours, by e-mailing Sarah [email protected] or telephoning 01223 332075.

Katie with French Horn

One golden bondNine good men and true left FitzwilliamBoathouse 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 theirconquests. This fantastic achievement has been extensively covered in the FitzwilliamJournal, both local and national press and in Regatta, the magazine of the Amateur RowingAssociation.

The camaraderie enjoyed by rowers isepitomised by the efforts made to get this crew

reunited, fifty years later. That same camaraderiealso has been harnessed in raising the funds forthe new Fitzwilliam Boathouse. We wish a fondfarewell to the old Boathouse in June and lookforward to the new one rising, like a phoenix from the ashes, in the autumn. Planning Consentsare awaited, funds are being gathered, buildingschedules put in place and valedictory events andofficial openings being planned.

We thank all those Members who havesupported the Fitzwilliam Boathouse appeal. Afull list will be published in Optima, once the newBoathouse is completed.The 1955 veteran crew (below) outside

Fitzwilliam Boathouse

mo

ne

y m

ak

es

th

e w

or

ld

go

ar

ou

nd

• 1

0

Money makes the world go aroundZoë Shaw (English, 1979)

The question that troubled me at University was,“What career could I pursue having studied EnglishLiterature?” What did it qualify me to do? Twenty-five years later I am glad to say quite a lot. I left Fitzin 1982 and started work with a US Bank. Afterprogressing through a number of product andmarketing roles in debt capital markets I becameHead of the Debt Division of a major German Bankand Joint General Manager of the London Branch.Some people say that it is strange that an Englishgraduate went into banking which tends to be atechnical business. This is only partly true, asbanking is a broad church with many differentfunctions. So what did I get out of learning Englishand my life at Fitzwilliam College? I have foundEnglish a very helpful base for my career because it provided analytical reasoning (essential in allbusinesses), the ability to reduce complex ideas to summary form and the skill to write marketingmaterial for international consumption.

At Fitz I had both friends and tutors who wereforeign nationals. Amusingly my English tutor at Fitz, Eric Warner, also went into Investmentbanking! Later, this introduction to aninternational perspective served me well as I builtup a department where we had twelve differentnationalities working in three different locations(Berlin, London and Dublin). To generate businessI travelled weekly to Berlin (literally drivingthrough the Brandenberg Gate) to our HQ in theold East Berlin. I also spent a lot of time in CentralEurope, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia,Hungary, Poland and the CzechRepublic working with local banksto open up their markets to foreigninvestment and create efficientfinancial entities borrowing on theinternational capital markets.

Nevertheless, success wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of specialist training which theAmericans gave me (finance,accounting etc) and something elsecritical to many career paths – acommitment to lifelong learning and an ability to reinvent oneself !Now why do I say this? Well I recently took a more

entrepreneurial step and established a new creditfund management company called ‘New BondStreet Asset Management’ (a Limited LiabilityPartnership). Admittedly this move into fundmanagement 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 inorganisation, product development anddistribution. Several of my former colleaguesjoined 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 tobanks, pension funds, insurance companies andother hedge funds worldwide. We currently haveEuro 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 ourcorporate partner and provided seed capital for ourbusiness. Kaupthing is one of the world’s top eightfastest growing banks and a member of the toptwo hundred largest banks. Their financial acumenhas helped Icelandic corporates to buy some of ourbest known high street names such as Hamleys toyshop, Goldsmiths, the jewellery retailer, IcelandFoods (now part of the Big Food Group) and KarenMillen the women’s apparel chain. Iceland is awonderful 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 fascinatingcountry.

Nevertheless my love of books has not left mesince I have written and edited two financialtextbooks and lectured at international seminarsfrom Helsinki to Hong Kong. I often joke with mycolleagues that we should collectively write a novelbased on our experiences in the City, the onlyproblem is that people would regard it as purefiction!

Zoë with ghillie and first catch ( a salmon), Iceland

Zoë Shaw is the CEO and Managing Partner of New Bond Street AssetManagement Limited Liability Partnership. She combines her career asa successful businesswoman with family life and her recent businessinterests in Iceland have enabled her to explore the country and evencatch 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 thebackground to form her own credit fund management company,managing assets of over three billion Euros.


Some people say thatit is strange that an

English graduate went intobanking which tends to be a

technical business.

This is only partly true, as banking is a broad

church with manydifferent functions.

ru

nn

in

g •

11


In the running

Chariots of Fire

Silke and the IronmanAustrian born, Silke Pichler is studying for anMPhil in Computational Biology in order toacquire expertise to extend her research on thegenetics of Drosophila. Her three-year fellowshipfrom the Austrian Academy of Science funds bothher work and her hobby. She is a long-legged, 177 cm, extremely fit, 32 year old athlete whocompetes seriously in marathon, triathlon andironman competitions.

She first took up running in High School butdidn’t compete in competitions until much later.As a PhD student in Heidelberg, she practisedcycling and running on the forest tracks of theOdenwald. Last year she qualified for the HalfIronman World Championships by becomingthird in her class at Longleat in September andclocking the qualifying times: cycling 56 miles in 3h 20; swimming 1.2 miles in 45 minutes andrunning 13.1 miles in 1h 33. So, in November shejoins one hundred other athletes from around theworld and heads for Florida for the WorldChampionships.

Silke doesn’t just do ironman distances; inAugust 2005 she was third in the London triathlonOlympic distance (swimming 1500m, cycling 40km and running 10 km). She took first place in theCambridge triathlon in her group and was fifthoverall, winning a gold medal and also won “thePicnic”, a full marathon distance cross-countryrace held outside London. She was second in theHumber Bridge half marathon, a thirteen-milerace that includes crossing the Humber Bridge.She ran both the New York marathon and theBoston marathon in 3h 13, coming in the top threepercent 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 runsand swims each day for two hours, cycles for 5–6hours at weekends and does strength trainingtwice a week in the gym. Last year took its toll withthree marathons, two cross-country races, fourhalf marathons, one half ironman, a Nationalaquathlon (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 moreselective so she can perform better at the WorldChampionships, resting more and workingtowards 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 mentalpreparation as well. In a triathlon the distinctstages have to be performed correctly or timepenalty points are awarded. The event begins with the swimming where a neoprene suit is wornover the shorts and vest needed for the otherdisciplines. After the swim, the competitor runsinto the transition zone shedding the suit andpicking up their cycle helmet. The bicycle ispushed from the zone and at a certain point theymount the bike and slip their feet into the shoes.The correct route must be cycled to the nexttransition zone where the cycle is abandoned andrunning shoes donned for the final leg.

Her next ambition is to break through the three-hour time barrier for the marathon and be in thefirst ten in the triathlon championships. Shewould eventually like to complete in the Olympicsunder the Austrian flag. This is within her reach.Her current time of 3h 13m is a good basis toimprove from and she is sure she can becomefaster. She will work on better body preparationwith full hydration the day before a race and a balanced diet with plenty of soya (she is avegetarian) and powergel during the race to keep energy levels up. She will choose her races,preferring European marathons (no jet lag) andwith the support of colleagues to boost herperformance. She will concentrate on time andpace, 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 alsoimportant, keeping moving and using ice wherenecessary for tired muscles.We wish her the very best for a successful WorldChampionship race!

Silke running a half marathon in New York, 2003

This may conjure up visions of the 1981 film of thesame name of two men chasing dreams of glory,featuring famous names such as John Gielgud,Ben Cross and Nigel Havers or it may bring backmemories of the famous score by Vangelis.Wrong! On 18 September 2005, a team of sixrepresented Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge’spremier fun run (a relay race of 1.7 miles throughthe City Centre in aid of East Anglia’s Children’sHospice) and won the Collegiate Section.

Andy Bell (Mathematics 2003), Richard Benwell(History 2001), Kaj Bernhardt (Biochemistry2003), Roman Roth (Classics 1996), Peter Tregear(Fellow and Director of Music) and Edmund Ward(Materials Science 2004) finished seventh overallwith a time of 57.10; not bad considering there isprovision for 420 teams of six.

So Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, yourmemory lives on as we salute a victoriousFitzwilliam team.

Edmund, Kaj, Peter, Richard and Andyproudly show off their trophy

Run, run as fast as you can,you can’t catch me I’m aFitzwilliam man – or woman,as the case may be. Twoarticles follow: The firstreports the achievementsand aspirations of SilkePichler, a postgraduatestudent at Fitzwilliam and a marathon and triathloncompetitor and the secondfeatures the triumphantFitzwilliam “Chariots ofFire” team.

la

w s

tu

de

nt

s •

12


Taking the law into their own hands

Ian Redfearn (Law 2004)Ian, with an interest in the criminal justice system,spent four weeks at the Washington State Institutefor Public Policy at Olympia, south of Seattle. TheDirector of the Institute, Roxanne Leib had spent ayear in Cambridge at the Institute of Criminologyand got to know Nicky Padfield (Director ofStudies in Law at Fitzwilliam), thus the link. Ian’s remit was collating and checking data for a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of sexoffender treatment programmes. He also did some work on a secondary project on theprovision of educational services for immigrantstudents of High School age. He found the workinteresting 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 andother colleagues took him to see Mount St Helensvolcano and other local sites of interest. He alsowent to the obligatory baseball game and visitedSeattle. His trip to the States was organised withthe assistance of British Universities NorthAmerica Club (BUNAC) who helped with flightsand paperwork.

Hyo Joo Kim (Law 2004)Hyo hails from London and combined a monthlong trip to see relatives in Australia with aplacement at the Sir James Martin Chambers inSydney. It is the workplace of Peter Semmler QC, a distinguished Fitzwilliam Member (see Optima V)who is known internationally for two notablecases. In one historic case in 2001, he won recorddamages for a lady bar attendant, disabled bypassive smoking. He was also in involved in Moranvs Moran, a case of domestic violence culminatingin the suicide of the son, which made internationalheadlines.

Hyo has developed an interest in tort law(personal injury) and was able to spend some timein the Supreme Court of New South Wales, attendcourt with Judge Rolfe, a District Court Judge andtalk to employees at the large practice. She alsospent some time at Carroll and O’Dea, a localsolicitors’ firm where she was able to sit in on

some client meetings. She attended a meeting with Qantas concerning their poor service to adisabled passenger, which resulted in profuseapologies but a pitiful compensation settlementfrom the airline. She was able to look at casehistories and evaluate some of the differencesbetween Australian and English Law. She even had lunch with some ex-Fitz members includingChristopher Teague (Economics, 1976) and others.They questioned her about Fitz today includingwhich pubs the students frequented and how theBoathouse appeal was going!

Richard Gal (Law 2004)Richard, who has an interest in criminal law,found a placement with the Texas DefenderSystem (TDS), a charity which advises those whoseek to appeal on behalf of Death Row inmates in the State of Texas. A chain of contacts startingwith Fitz alumnus, Michael Ross (MStCriminology 2005) led to an eventual contact withJohn Nilaind, a capital punishment head attorneywith the TDS, who took Richard on to assist in the preparation of the case to free Max Soffar.

Soffar had confessed twenty-five yearspreviously to the murders of several people in abowling alley during a robbery. Questions hadarisen concerning the validity of the statements,the competence of the lawyers and a number ofother legal issues, leading to the granting of a re-trial. This is not unusual in the States. DuringRichard’s stay, he protested against the killing ofFrances Newton, a black woman who had spenttwenty-four years on death row. Despite protestsshe was killed by lethal injection while he was inthe States. Texas is one of the States to still havethe death penalty and three other people wereexecuted during the three months Richard spent in America.

Richard prepared motions for the court onvarious aspects of the Soffar case and even met the offender on a visit to Harris County Jail. Soffarwore an orange prison suit, his hands and legswere cuffed and there was thick glass betweenthem. The offender had an institutionaliseddemeanour although was excited to have visitorsand talked volubly for half an hour finishing bythanking Richard and the lawyers for working on his case. Richard found the encounter quiteharrowing but the experience of working in Texaswas invaluable. He learned about the Americanjustice system, the ways of jury selection and thefinancing of appeals via charity donations. It was a tremendous introduction to his second yearoption on sentencing and the penal system.Flights, accommodation, subsistence and traveladded up to over a thousand pounds so the grantfrom the Fitwilliam Travel Fund towards his costsproved extremely helpful.

Hyo in Peter Semmler’s office, overlookingSydney Harbour

Richard near Lake Placid

Capitol Campus in Olympia

If any other Member from the widerFitzwilliam community could help acurrent undergraduate with a workexperience placement, advice abouta career or even as a contact in anew place, please get in touch. Theabove reports illustrate how usefulwork experience placements can beto the students and we would like tobuild up our list of alumni who canoffer help.

Three law students talk about the benefit of work experienceplacements courtesy of the help of Members. Ian Redfearn worked inAmerica at a specialised State Government Public Policy Institute, HyoJoo Kim spent two weeks in Sydney in the chambers of Peter SemmlerQC (Law 1969) and Richard Gal assisted with the preparation ofmotions to the court for the appeal of an offender on Death Row inTexas. All benefited greatly from the experience and would like tothank the College alumni and the College for grants from CollegeTravel Funds.

sin

ga

po

re

• 1

3


Setting up regional groups of Members on aworldwide basis has been looked at previously on an ad hoc basis but due to the sparsity ofFitzwilliam alumni living within a given radius, ithas been difficult to achieve. The most active hasbeen the Singapore Chapter, members of whichhave come together historically for visits from theFitzwilliam Fellowship on a number of occasions.

In 1993, Paul Wakelin (1958) joined with Dr LeeSuan Yew (1954) and Victor Chew (1950) to hostcocktails at the Tanglin Club for any existingFitzwilliam alumni they could track down whenthe then Master, Professor Alan Cuthbert visitedwith Irving Scott (1959). Professor Cuthbert alsomet up with Lee Kuan Yew (Dr Lee Suan Yew’sbrother) who had read Law at Fitzwilliam Housefrom 1946 –1949 and had gone on to have adistinguished career, eventually becoming PrimeMinister of Singapore. He is now Minister Mentorand an Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College. In 1994 the Bursar, Christopher Pratt met up withalumni in Hong Kong and Singapore followed in1996 by Nicky Padfield (Fitzwilliam Law Fellow)who visited a number of Junior Colleges inSingapore culminating in a dinner in the PrimaCanton Restaurant attended by seven Membersand coordinated by Nigel Penny (1966). The same year, Dr Robin Porter Goff (Life Fellow) and his wife undertook a Swan Hellenic cruisecommencing at Singapore and entertained threedifferent Members on board the M V Minerva.

Nicky, as College President, went back inOctober 2000 to conduct entrance interviews andmet up with Dr Lee Suan Yew, Victor Chew andPaul Wakelin in the Tanglin Club for a SingaporeMembers’ dinner. Chris also was back inSingapore in 2001 as a judge for the prestigiousAsia Pacific Cup English Presentation Contestwhich is sponsored by Tsuzuki Sogo Gakuen andattracts thousands of entrants from High Schoolsand Universities throughout Asia. While there he

The Singapore Chapter

hosted a reception at the Tanglin Club for elevenFitzwilliam Members. In 2002, Professor BrianJohnson, former Master, cemented the stronglinks with Singapore by attending an alumniluncheon and being presented with the TanglinClub shield.

Singapore is special. It is a small country (647.5 square kilometres) and although there are only seventy-four Fitzwilliam Members amongits four million people, distances aren’t great ifthey want to get together. If you think of Australia(7,686,850 square kilometres) or the United States(9,629,091 square kilometres), Members arewidely dispersed and distances are enormous so you have to think regionally. This is beginningto happen. The New York Chapter have now mettwice; the Hong Kong Chapter, once and theNashville Chapter have hosted a senior CollegeFellow.

On a larger scale, Oxford and CambridgeSocieties already have a presence all over theworld. Indeed, Brian Johnson visited the Oxfordand Cambridge Alumni Club of Andalucia recentlyafter a chance conversation at the Bumps Supperin June with Ian Mortimer (1948). It led to hisbeing guest on honour at a luncheon in November2005 at the Al Andalus Hotel where he gave a talkon “Admissions to Oxbridge – the current state ofaffairs”.

Returning to Fitzwilliam, we would like toidentify nuclei of Fitz Members all over the worldand are beginning to compile a list of foci andMembers who will act as the point of contact, inthe same way Paul Wakelin has kindly become forthe Singapore Chapter. Would anyone interestedin forming an alumni group or being the principalcontact anywhere else in the world, let us know (e-mail Emma on [email protected]). We canthus inform them of visits of College personneland keep them up-to-date with College news andevents. They may enjoy meeting up informally andit will all work to strengthen and unite the widerFitzwilliam family.

Alumni luncheon, Tanglin Club, August 2002

Paul Wakelin presenting Professor Johnsonwith the Tanglin Club shield

Professor Johnson with Dr Lee Suan Yew andthe Tanglin Club shield

Professor Johnson with Garcia Aranda (Profesor Titular, Dept ofInorganic Chemistry, Málaga University)

Why did you choose to participate in the exchange?Ben: To experience something new and to see whatit was like to be a student in a different educationalsystem.Steve: I wanted a change from Cambridge. At MIT I could take courses other than Physics and choosewhich Physics courses to take. Also, I could travelaround North and South America whilst there.

Ben, did you have any choice in which college you came toand if so, why Fitzwilliam?Ben: There was a choice but I expressed nopreference, as I had no idea what to expect. 2 out of the 37 MIT exchange students were readingPhysics so I was swapped directly with Steve andended up taking his place at Fitzwilliam.

How did the institutions, teaching and courses differ? Ben: Flexibility – Cambridge has a fixed curriculumfor each course with some degree of flexibilitywhereas MIT is just the opposite. There arethousands of courses and a student has the freedomto choose.There are lists of specific requirementsfor 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 attendany courses. At the end of the first year you make a“Declaration of intent” and choose your field. Thismeans class sizes in the US are extremely variabledue to the fluctuating interests of the students. Astudent usually studies for 3 years in Cambridge, 4 at MIT which allows for a more general education.Cambridge students are thus focused earlier andstay focused throughout. For instance, I ammajoring 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. Toattend a top ‘private’ university in the US costsabout £70,000 over four years.Teaching – In Cambridge there are only 19 weeks of lectures so each one is condensed and taken atspeed. Copies of notes and presentation materialare available and supervisions follow which serve to clarify any points not fully understood. At MIT,

there are thirty weeks of lectures and more lecturesper week. The pace is slower and lectures are moreinteractive. I expect a Cambridge student would befrustrated by the lack of rigour at MIT.Steve: The Undergraduate Research OpportunitiesProgram (UROP) at MIT is a great idea andencourages undergraduates into research. You find a Professor in a field that interests you who iswilling to take you on and you help them with theirresearch. About 80% of the students do this at somepoint. You can choose any subject.Weekly assessments – At MIT, there are weeklyassessments, so you have to put a lot of effort in tokeep 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 bathroomon site. “It was not until I came to Cambridge that Ilearned what a lawn was really like”. MIT is a muchmore industrial setting and even the Universitybuildings are functional and uninteresting. InCambridge, I appreciated the beautiful buildingsand stylish architecture. Steve: On MIT campus I would have just had a dorm room but I lived in a fraternity house. Thehouse was in one of the wealthiest areas of Boston(near John Kerry’s house) and had five floors, apoolroom 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 youdoing team-building activities with your housematesin the first term. My UK colleagues and I chose not to pledge, but they made us honorary Brothersanyway!

How was student life different?Ben: The legal drinking age in the US is 21 so theformal halls here with wine were an eye-opener.There are no college bars at MIT and OK, studentsdrink, but not openly. In the States, we celebratewith a meal out; in Cambridge we went out drinking.If you want to drink at MIT, the fourth years (already21) buy the alcohol and it is consumed quietlybehind closed doors. The other difference is thatMIT is a specialist Science and EngineeringUniversity 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). Thefrat system means that your Brothers will help youwith your work if you are failing a class or fix you upwith a date for a house formal if you don’t have oneor 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 toFrance in June with Cadenza, a University capellagroup that I sang with, based at St John’s. I spent

st

ud

en

ts

sw

ap

• 1

4


Students swap

Steve’s fraternity house

Steve by Golden Gate Bridge

The Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI) was established in July 2000 withfunding 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 knowledgeexchange.” Its educational programme includes the UndergraduateStudent Exchange, now in its fifth year, where students fromMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) located in Cambridge,Massachusetts and those from Cambridge University in the UK aregiven the opportunity to study at the other institution for a year.

Of the 37 MIT students here lastyear, one, BBeenn SScchhwwaarrttzz, a Physicsand Math major, exchanged withSStteevvee OOssbboorrnnee from Fitzwilliam, athird year undergraduate readingPhysics. Ben and Steve answerquestions about the exchange:

st

ud

en

ts

sw

ap

/c

om

pe

tit

io

n •

15

Competition 2006Competition winners

Ben on the ‘Cambridge Hitch’.

five days in London at Christmas when my family came over.Steve: I spent Thanksgiving weekend andChristmas in New York and have also visitedWashington. My advisor invited four of usphysicists, for a weekend in New Hampshire where he has a house by the lake and we didkayaking, water skiing and sailing. I spent more time travelling around when term ended.

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 sceneryfreshened me up and I’ve returned with renewedenergy.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 didmore travelling. I got to know some leadingresearchers 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 donein the States like ‘The Cambridge Hitch’. I hitchedfrom Cambridge to Morocco in five days for charity.We don’t hitch much in America due to theperception of danger.

My worst memory was finding my way aroundcities. 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 knowthe people there was great. I enjoyed my weekendsin New York and Washington.

Do you hope to return to the country/institution of yourexchange?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 graduateschool in the US. They have much better facilities,more money and you can go on taking classes thatinterest you as well as core stuff.

The ReverendStuart Rhodes(1955), winner ofthe competitionin Optima VII, visitedCambridge, with his wife,

Veronica in September and stayedat the Cambridge Garden HouseMoat House. Stuart read Theology(Wesley House) and recalls awonderful occasion when hechanced upon hearing AlbertSchweitzer playing the organ inKing’s College Chapel during hisfirst year.

They very much enjoyed visiting the exhibition of religiousmanuscripts in FitzwilliamMuseum while here and werereturning home to tell their friendsthey had seen the Cambridgeilluminations!

Dr Christopher McGuigan (1982)won the crossword competition in Optima VIII. Chris is a ClinicalEpidemiologist in Scotland andwon 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 tofeature a photo of their trip in asubsequent magazine.

1 ………………………………………………………….............. 2 ………………….....……………………….............

3 ……………………………………………............................ 4 ………………….....……………...........……........

Name: …………………………………. Telephone: ……………………...…….. E-mail: ………………....……………

Address: .……………………………………………………………………………..............………………………………….

List any Fitz members with whom you are in contact (to help us locate “lost sheep”):

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

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

Ben and Steve did not meet.

Spot the destination of Brian-the-Goat, the travelling companion of NeilRickards (1998). He is a well-seasoned traveller and correctly naming thefour destinations in the photographs below may win you half a case of avery special wine.

The prize is 6 bottles of “Goats do Roam” kindly supplied by FairviewWines of South Africa (www.fairview.co.za), described as “juicy ripe red andblack berry fruit with a dash of spice”. Goats do Roam is a favourite of theBillygoats and often appears on the menu at Boat Club and Fitz Societydinners.

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 FitzwilliamCollege, Cambridge CB3 0DG by 30 June 2006. The winnerwill be drawn at random from all correct entries received bythe closing date.

1 2 3

4

ne

ws

& e

ve

nt

s •

16


Career NetworkingHopefully you will have seen the flyer about this newscheme in the Journal. We are appealing to our Membersto join our database of professional experts who canoffer careers advice, guidance and work experience toour current students. Fitz students will be able to viewour Career Contacts’ profiles and send a message tothem via the Fitz website.

Huge thanks goes to Fitz Society President, SarahAsplin QC who initiated the scheme. Sarah introducedthe idea to Members who attended the London Drinksevening in February and already 100 Members havejoined. 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 toreceive a brochure containing full details, please contactthe Development Office.

Master’s Appearance in Chicago…At the end of October, the Master will be attending aconference at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.Whilst the Master is in the States, he would like to takethe opportunity to meet with our Members. Therefore,he will be hosting a dinner in Chicago on Saturday 21stOctober.

All Members and their partners are invited to attend.Invitations to our US Members will be sent shortly.

Back to his RootsTo celebrate his 60th birthday, the Master will bereturning to New York, the place of his birth, for somefestivities. The Master and Mrs Lethbridge invite our US Members and their partners to join them.

On Friday 23rd February 2007, the Master will behosting a three-course dinner at the Harvard Club.

Invitations will be sent shortly to all our US Members.

College Colours – Wear them with PrideIf you represented Fitz in any sport at the highest level (ie first team or first boat), you have earned your CollegeColours. Ties and scarves are available to purchase by allthose who are eligible. The design incorporates the lionfrom the College crest with a pattern of lozenges in Fitzcolours. The silk scarf is 32" x 32" and costs £15. Theties are available in polyester and silk, they’re priced at£8.50 and £15.

If you believe you are eligible, please send details ofyour team, the years you played, honours (ie CuppersWinner) and positions (ie Captain, Treasurer) along withpayment to the Development Office. Payment can be bycredit or debit card or by cheque – payable to‘Fitzwilliam College’.

Des

igne

d an

d pr

inte

d by

Cam

brid

ge P

rint

ing,

the

prin

ting

bus

ines

s of

Cam

brid

ge U

nive

rsit

y Pr

ess.

ww

w.c

ambr

idge

prin

tin

g.or

g

News and Events at Fitzwilliam

Transforming TomorrowCambridge University launched its 800th AnniversaryCampaign in New York and San Francisco in November2005 with two ‘Cambridge in America’ days. The ViceChancellor of the University, Dr Alison Richard spokeon “transforming tomorrow” and the challenges facedby the University in order to remain a beacon ofinternational excellence. At both of these events, DrDavid Starkey (1964) gave the keynote address to apacked audience of alumni and their guests. David,

a Bye Fellow of Fitzwilliam and a historian of worldrenown, spoke on the origins and early history ofCambridge University. We are proud to have such anambassador for Fitzwilliam.

Local Overseas ChaptersFitzwilliam College has an established calendar ofevents in the UK, but events around the globe arecurrently few and far between. The Development Officeis working hard to start Overseas Chapters that will giveour Members the opportunity to meet with others intheir area. A list of our new Overseas Chapters can beseen in the centre pages of the Journal along with detailsof the Local Contact.

Already this year, the New York and Hong KongChapters have held events, the New South WalesChapter is having a drinks evening in November andthe Singapore Chapter is in the process of organising a social evening too. I hope to report on many moreevents throughout the rest of the year.

Dates for your Diary

4th May 2006 London Dinner17th June 2006 Bumps Supper24th June 2006 Past v Present Cricket Match1st July 2006 Degree Day16th Sept 2006 Prisons & Probation Dinner22nd–24th Sept 2006 Reunion Weekend21st Oct 2006 Chicago Dinner25th Nov 2006 NSW Drinks Evening23rd Feb 2007 New York Dinner

For further information and tickets for musicalevents, please telephone the Porters’ Lodge on01223 332000

by EmmaCamps

Emma Camps

Events and Alumni

Relations

Development Office

Fitzwilliam College

Cambridge cb3 0dg

telephone:

+ 44 (0) 1223 332034

email:

[email protected]

David Starkey at the New Yorklaunch (Don Pollard)

optima - fitzwilliam college, cambridge · an interim report. one golden bond the golden...

Documents