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An introduction to Oxford University and St Catherine's College.
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St Catherine’s CollegeFreshers’ Guide 2011-12
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2Editorial
Editor ErkAngpanitcharoenGraphic DesignErk Angpanitcharoen
Special thanks to Caroline Phelps (last year’s publications rep) and Joon Son Chung for their technical advice.
Acknowledgements
Photographs-St Catherine’sCollegeDevelopment Office-Emma James-Alex Rawling-Naomi Scott-Mearns
ContentsJCR President - Vice President
JCR Secretary - Freshers’ Week
JCR Treasurer - Finance Guide
JCR IT Rep - JCR Domestic Liaison Officer - JCR Career and Academic Affairs Rep - JCR Access Rep
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JCR OUSU Rep - JCR Equal Opportunities Rep - JCR LGBT Rep
JCR Welfare Reps
JCR Charities Rep - JCR Environment and Ethics Rep - Packing List
JCR Entz Reps
JCR Clubs and Socs Rep - Football
Rugby - Cricket - Running - Tennis - Net-ball - Squash
Rowing
Hockey - Basketball - Dodgeball
Music - Choir
Poetry Society - Darts - Pool
A Day in the Life of
Facilities
Glossary
JCR Publications Rep
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college based sports teams and societies, including football, rowing and music, which you will have the opportunity to join (and which will be described later in this guide).
In particular, we have a JCR Committee: a democratically elected body that is here to serve you. As President, I represent the interests of Catz undergraduates to the College authorities and to the Oxford Uni-versity Student Union (OUSU). I also chair the JCR Open Meetings where you have
JCR President
Welcome Freshers! I’m Benson, a second year law student, and your Junior Common Room (JCR) Presi-dent for this academic year.
Congratulations for making it into St Catherine’s College (affectionately named ‘Catz‘)! You are now part of our large com-
munity, and we hope that your time here will be truly tremendous!
Although Oxford has a range of colleges, sights and activities for you to experience, Catz will ultimately be the heart of your student life. From sleeping in your stair-cases and studying in the library, to dining in the hall (or cooking if you so desire) and chilling out in the bar, the college is equipped to meet your academic, domes-tic and social needs. We also have many
Vice President
Hi Freshers! I’m James and will be your Vice Presi-dent for the majority of your first year. There are various events that I organise over the year for you so you may see a fair amount of me. My main role is to organise the DVD library with over 200 DVD’s that you can rent for free for any period of time!
The JCR committee represents you as students both at a college level and university level. We are here to make your time at Catz as enjoyable as possible. My main bit of advice for you before you arrive is not to worry. The work will inevitably be okay and there are so many clubs/societies to join to keep you busy.
If you have any questions/concerns and haven’t heard from your college parents feel free to email any member of the committee.
Also get used to having a look at the St Catz JCR website, there is usually the food menu for the week on there as well as a list of all the DVD’s you can rent. Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you in October!
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a say in how our JCR is run. These meetings happen four times a term, and students can help improve or change things, by passing or even rejecting motions, through voting. Whether the issue is to purchase new equipment for the gym, or to amend the JCR Constitution, we would highly value your input, and therefore we would deeply encourage you to participate! Apart from that, I’m responsible for supervising JCR affairs and being your go-to guy for any other issues that arise.
Freshers’ Week is going to be a hectic yet exciting time for all of us. Undoubtedly, you will anticipate meeting a flurry of fresh faces, but don’t fret if you can’t remember everyone’s name at first! If you’re nervous about what to expect, or fear that you won’t adjust into the new environment, just remember that it’s a natural feeling which many newcomers experience every year. For this reason, we not only have a variety of events planned to advise and entertain you during the week, but we also have a group of Freshers’ Angels: volunteers who are more than happy to help you settle in to college life.
Benson EgwuonwuJCR President
If you have any queries, please join our Facebook group, named: St Catherine’s College, Oxford - Incoming Class 2011. If you’d like to contact me directly, you can email me.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the rest of your holidays, and I look forward to meeting you in October!
James GibsonJCR Vice President
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Hi there! I’m Emma and my job as Secretary involves doing all the little bits and bobs which keep everything together, and ensure everyone knows what’s going on. I compile the agenda for JCR Open Meetings (which are not to be missed!), take minutes and send them around to everyone. I also send out the weekly news-letter, with information about what’s going on around Oxford. Feel free to contact me with any questions, and I shall most certainly be contacting most of you...
hopefully we’ll be familiar faces.•Freshers’ Angels – there will be someone at the Freshers’ desk in the JCR all week.•College Parents – they’re there to help you out and will always be willing to share their pearls of wisdom.•Welfare Reps – Nat and Kirstie will always be contactable on the Welfare mobile.•Pretty much anyone – Catz are a friendly bunch, and everyone wants to make you feel welcome.
If you have any queries beforehand, we’re all hovering around the St Catherine’s Incoming Class page on Facebook, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get in touch! We’re really looking forward to meet-ing you all, and hope that you enjoy Freshers’ week and come to love Catz as much as we do. And whether Freshers’ week turns out to be your thing or not, the general consensus is that it’s not very representative of your time here – so don’t panic if you find it tough!
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Emma JamesJCR Secretary
Freshers’ weekFor most people, the thought of Freshers’ week is both exciting and a bit daunting. But you’ll be glad to know that we’ve planned a week full of things to help you get settled in as quickly as possible. There’s no pressure to do anything – so get involved with as much or as little as you feel like.
You should all have received a copy of the Freshers’ week time-table by now, and this will also be uploaded to the Catz JCR website. The Entz Reps have been working hard to make sure there’s plenty of stuff going on – check out their page in this guide for more information. When you first arrive here on the Tues-day, you’ll be greeted by one of many ‘Freshers’ Angels’, who will help show you to your room and make sure you get settled in. Afternoon tea in Hall is a great opportunity to meet your subject groups (we found swapping mobile numbers a very useful thing to do!). You’ll then get the chance to meet the committee, before your college parents whisk you a way for a drink and a chat. Your parents will take you to Hall as well, so you can learn the ins and outs of college dining without having to worry about how every-thing works.
The first day is organised to help you meet a wide range of people and get settled as quickly as possible, but don’t worry if you’re feeling a little anxious about coming here for the first time. We all know what it’s like, so if you have any queries or are feeling a little down, feel free to come and speak to us. Suggestions of who to contact are:
•The Committee – we’ll introduce ourselves on your first day, so
JCR Treasurer
Finance GuideSorting out your money is important, even if you don’t feel on a budget it might be a good idea to set one. Don’t worry about the size of your budget, as many-a-man says it’s not the size but how you use it.
1. Work out your income…
Student Finance: Double-check how much you’re going to get and whenFamily (?): Each situation is different but make sure you and your family have the same expectations of what is happening with your financeGrants (?): Check if you are eligible for any, if you receive a main-tenance grant you may be eligible for the Oxford Opportunity Bursary, this is done automatically through student finance if you agree to share information with the universityEmployment (?): It’s rare to have a job in term-time but there are sometimes opportunities to work in Hall at meal times, in the holidays you will need a rest after the very intense terms and you are likely to have some work to do so be realistic… can you guarantee getting a job?
2. Work out how you plan on managing it….
Bank Accounts: get a student bank account! Shop around for the best one depending on what you need (highest guaranteed over-
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ets for plays (there are loads on in Oxford) vary in price, entry to clubs is typically £4 – 5 and a pint of beer in a pub is roughly £3 – 4. The college bar is a cheaper alternative for a sociable night in.Expenses You Might Forget… some are regular e.g. laundry (wash or dry is £1.28) or travel costs or paper and pens (cheaper in Rymans and you get student discount), some are one-off e.g. society membership (some cost) and posters or fancy dress costumes and some are completely unexpected e.g. taxi costs to the hospital when you have got an earplug stuck in your ear (true story)Printing… there is printing in college which you pay for electroni-cally, but if you’re thinking of getting a printer look at print costs and how many pages it prints, getting the cheapest printer might not work out cheapest overall. You can get laser printers which are fairly ink-efficient for £70 roughly.
4. Last Tips…• Within reason and if you can, spend what you spend in Fresh-ers’ Week – it’s important to have a good week and settle in… beyond that, don’t stress about missing the occasional thing – stick to what you’re happy with
draft is often Co-op and best add-ons is often NatWests’ Five Year Railcard), searching online you can easily find comparisons. There is a branch of most banks in Oxford but double check. If you have savings think about when you are going to need them and research fixed rate bonds and ISA’s online at ‘moneysupermarket’Weekly: this is the best way to manage your money. Think about what you might spend on Upay (although you’ll probably change your mind as you go along), top that up and then maybe think about taking the rest out in cash for the week so you know ex-actly how much you have, it also stops you having to borrow cash from others etc.Online Banking: is really useful for keeping up with your budget, get it sorted.The Budget: Don’t divide your termly income after accommo-dation expense (which is £xxx) by 8! You might need money in holidays, there are likely to be one-off things you want or need and in the other terms you will probably be in Oxford slightly longer than 8 weeks.Spreadsheet: there will be a spreadsheet to download from the Catz JCR website to help
3. Work out what you will need to spend it on…
Food: eating three meals in hall costs about £9.40 a day, there are cheaper ways and you might not always be in college to eat in hall. Learn a few cheap meals to cook, think about buying some foil or something if you are out in town during the day so you don’t have to buy food from a shop. A cheap and quick thing to do is cook double portions so you already have your lunch for the next day so bring a container.Entertainment: whatever you are in to it might cost money. Tick-
Joel EdmondsonJCR Treasurer
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• Split your budget into ‘living’ (food etc), ‘entertainment’ (pubs, clubs etc) and ‘one-off ’ for just in case• You’ll get loads of student discount cards, flash them around wherever you go – some places won’t tell you they’re valid!• Bring cash for Fresher Week – there aren’t many cash points near by
JCR IT RepHi guys, my name is Anton and I’m a JCR IT officer. My job is chiefly to maintain the JCR’s website and mailing lists. I’m also responsible for running the online voting system. In addition to this I can also help you with your IT problems – as long as it’s something not too complicated.
The college has 3 computer rooms with 25 computers (PC) and a number of printers both black and white and coloured. One of the rooms is open 24/7. If you have a laptop – do bring it with you – because it looks somewhat odd when you are looking at your Facebook page in the library :) Every staircase and most parts of the col-lege have a Wi-Fi connection with reason-ably good connection speed. You can also connect to the Internet using an Ethernet cable – you can buy one at the porters lodge but I would imagine you already have one so take it with you. It’s also worth noting that torrents are NOT allowed in the college and they may take disciplinary action if found.
Another important thing is Student Self Service that will give you access to central student IT services. You will be sent details
before your arrival.
Take your time and visithttp://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/welcometoit/for more detailed information.
Oxford University Computing Service (OUCS) also provides you with a number of facilities such as WebLearn, booking systems, free or low-cost software and IT courses in addition to your Oxford email account. So it’s worth checking it out.
Anton HinelJCR IT Rep
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Domestic Liaison Officer
Hi, I am Naomi Scott-Mearns and I am currently the DLO (domestic liaison of-ficer) for St Catherine’s College JCR. My role involves sorting out vacation storage for international students and dealing with any students’ concerns about their rooms, cleaning and hall. If you ever have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me.
Career and AcademicAffairs Rep
I am Chun, the Career & Academic Affairs representative of St. Catherine’s College.My duties includes:I. Send out reminders on important career events and career opportunitiesII. Arrange meetings for those in need of adviceIII. Distribute book grants
I would love to hear any ideas, suggestions or questions you might have. If you do have any, feel free to drop an email to me.
Access RepAs Access Rep I am responsible for creat-ing, implementing and directing relation-ships and projects between Catz and state schools and colleges, as well as promoting and involving the college in University initiatives that are already up and running. My main project is e-mentoring, a scheme which is designed to raise aspiration and support achievement through email con-tact between Oxford students and pupils in a range state education. Please do give me a shout if you want to get involved in Access work, or would just like more information.
Tom HockingJCR Access Rep
Chun LawJCR Career and Academic Affairs Rep
Naomi Scott-MearnsJCR Domestic Liaison Officer
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My name’s Charlie and I’m the OUSU rep for Catz. It’s my job to represent Catz at OUSU (Oxford University Student Union) - this is a body made up of student rep-resentatives from every college. We meet every 2 weeks to discuss issues that affect Oxford’s student body from Women’s Rights to changes to the way exams are conducted.
Part of my role is to feedback to the JCR on plans that will affect the university as a whole, as well as any campaigns that OUSU are running which require student par-ticipation. Oxford’s collegiate system can make the student body quite fragmented, but many important issues to most of the students here are raised at OUSU, includ-ing topics such as rent freezing and tuition fees – this is why it’s so important that Catz has a voice on the council.
Equal Opportunities Rep
Helping freshers settle in by organising college parent scheme. Particularly helping out international, disabled, and underrepre-sented students.
Neesha JambagiJCR Equal Opportunities Rep
Charlie BakerJCR OUSU Rep
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LGBT RepFirst off welcome to Catz! As your LGBT rep my role on the JCR Committee is to represent the LGBT community in college, to organise various LGBT related events, and act as a part of the university wide support network for people dealing with issues surrounding the topic of sexuality. Essentially my job is to ensure that Catz remains an incredibly welcoming environ-ment, as it has been in my previous two years here.
Throughout the year I will be organising regular social events in college such as drinks and various get-togethers which are open for anyone to attend. I will also be taking people to the first of the university LGBT drinks evenings on Tuesday of 1st
week of Michaelmas and generally trying to help students find their way around the university-wide LGBT scene.
I have a large variety of information resources at my disposal about specific LGBT welfare services and support lines, STI clinics, trans organisations, and so on.
Generally I am here for you in a support-ive capacity providing someone to talk to alongside the welfare system and generally creating a welcoming atmosphere for any-one L G B or T. So if you have any queries, just drop me an email or come find me in the JCR for a chat!
Charlie SussmanJCR LGBT Rep
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Hi! We’re Nat and Kirstie, your un-failingly keen and friendly Welfare Reps at Catz for the coming year. We’re both second years; Nat reads books and has essay crises (English) while Kirstie solves sums and memorises theorems (Maths). Nat is an Apple enthusiast (he worked there during his gap year) and Kirstie is an apple crumble enthusiast (she’s very good at eating them...)
We are easy-going people but we take our responsibilities seriously. Although you can expect a good brew, Welfare is much more than cups of tea; our main role is to listen to and support Catz undergrads which we do with the benefit of training and always in complete confidence.
During Freshers’ Week we’ll be on hand to answer any questions you might have and pass on knowledge gained from our first year in Oxford. We’ll be going door-to-door for a welcome chat (complete with biscuits - yay!) and we’ll be up bright and early (ahem, 10 a.m.) to host coffee morn-ings for anyone who can drag themselves out of bed. The week concludes with Sun-
day Welfest: a bonanza of free cake, more biscuits and a BBQ (weather permitting).
Our duties extend beyond Freshers’ Week of course. Throughout the year you can look forward to the weekly Sunday Welfare Tea (basically Sunday Welfest, but without the BBQ...), blind dates and Welfare events - all great ways to relax and meet people in the college.
If you ever need someone to talk to at Catz, we’re always available for a chat and to listen to any problems you might be having, big or small, confidentially. We have a lovely team of peer supporters who undergo the same training as us and their photos will be displayed at the bottom of every staircase too. We’re also familiar with Oxford’s extensive university-wide welfare resources. Every week we’ll hold a drop-in session, but you can also get in touch over email or pidge to organise a meet-up, or contact us on our snappily-named ‘Welfare Mobile’.
For us, Catz was our first experience of working at university level, living away from home and meeting so many new people. It was great to know that Welfare was always there, and we believe having someone to
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talk with openly can be really positive.
So that’s a round-up of Catz Welfare. All that remains to say is enjoy the rest of your summer and we look forward to meeting you next term!
Welfare love,Nat and Kirstie x
P.S. Feel free to ask us any questions you might have before arriving in October. Add us on Facebook or email us!
Kirstie Mok and Nat SamsonJCR Welfare Reps
[email protected]@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
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Hi I’m Gabbie (third year Geographer) and I’m the JCR Charities rep this year. My job is to try and raise as much money for char-ity as Catz can, through organising excit-ing, fun(ny) and potentially embarrassing events! As one of the biggest and (dare I say it) most fun colleges, Catz definitely has the potential to be raising big amounts of money for charity. (Get involved!!) I’m also RAG rep for OUSU and so responsible for pushing Oxford wide charitable initiatives within the Catz circle. I’m always keen to hear your ideas if you’ve got an idea of a charity event that you think would work, and also let me know if you’re doing some-thing charitable that you want to publicise/need help fundraising for something you’re doing. Look forward to my shameless pes-tering with charitable emails all year, and other than that I look forward to meeting you all in October!
Gabbie HoctorJCR Charities Repgabrielle.hoctor@
stcatz.ox.ac.uk
Environment and Ethics Rep
As the Environment and Ethics Rep, it is my role to keep Catz in touch with the greater E&E activities within the university as a whole. I am also the person who tries to help the college become more envi-ronmentally and ethically friendly, whether this is through increasing the amount of Fairtrade produce available in the college, working on increasing levels of recycling (Note- batteries can be recycled in the Pidge room!) or campaigning with the E&E committee as a whole to use non-sweat-shop sourced clothes for the University hoodies, tracksuits and so on. If anyone has any E&E related ideas for the upcom-
Ellie GreensladeJCR Environment and Ethics Rep
ing year, I would be very happy to talk to you and try to make those ideas a reality!
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Packing ListA few items you may overlook and forget to bring with you:
• Laptop• Ethernet cable• Laundry basket• Colour catchers• Washing tablets• Clothes airer• Dresses/Suits• Crockery and cutlery• Pots and pans• Post-it notes• Envelopes• Passport size photos - for joining socie-ties• Cheque book• Bottle opener• Fancy dress items - especially for the 1st entz• ID• Posters and photos - to decorate your room• Biscuits - for making friends
-Based on last year’s section by Caroline Phelps
JCR Entz Reps
First of all, let us offer a mas-sive well done for making it to Catz! And whether or not it was your intention to come here, we can assure you it’s worked out really well for you. Catz is an incredible college, not least because everyone here is so unflinchingly proud of the reputation it has for being a laidback, fun-loving place, and as Entz Reps it’s our job to uphold that renown.
We’ll start with a little introduction to the college bar. This is the best of its kind in Oxford, and that’s not just bias. Complete with two pool tables, a table football table, darts boards, arcade machines and two smooth-talking barmen with an unparal-leled taste in music, it’s a class place to be. It serves a range of drinks on tap and boasts your usual host of spirits and other delights. The JCR is just next-door, and so together the two form the undergrad hub of the college.
Secondly, we should mention Entz (what other colleges call ‘bops’). These are par-ties in the college that happen every two weeks or so, and they’re a true highlight of
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and the rest of the year, so do give us some feedback and put in any requests/suggestions. Feel free to drop us a message in the holidays if you’ve got any queries at all. Enjoy the rest of your break and we look forward to meeting you in October!
Bigup yaself
Catz life. We don’t really want to say much more as we’d rather let you find out for yourselves, but just think costumes and good music. The first one of the year will be taking place on the Saturday of Fresh-ers’ Week, with the theme as ‘The Name Game’. This just means you have to come as anything that begins with the first letter of your first name, for example Benson (the JCR President) could come as a Beauty Queen (and will hopefully now feel obligated to given we’ve floated the idea). So get thinking! And be prepared for a Saturday afternoon trip to Primark . . .
Last but not least, the Oxford nightlife . . . As a market town of just over 150,000, it’s obvious that Oxford isn’t going to com-pete with the likes of London or Manches-ter when it comes to going out, but there are numerous popular clubs (four of which you’ll be sampling in Freshers’ Week) and loads of quality pubs to be found. So yeah, we can’t give you Ibiza, but when you’ve smacked out your work for the day and Catz is out in force, we can guarantee a lively night.
And that’s about it for now, but we’ll be putting on as many events as our budget will allow us throughout Freshers’ Week
Harry Whittle and Sam BriggsJCR Entz Reps
[email protected]@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
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Clubs and Socs RepAs clubs and socs rep I work to keep the college clubs and societies running smoothly, and try to get as many people in Catz involved in the wide range of clubs and societies available as possible. This involves liaising with both students and the college, the grounds-man, publicizing events and compiling the clubs and socs budget. If you have any questions then let me know, or get in touch directly with the captain of a club to get involved.
There is a massive range of clubs and societies for Catz students to get involved in, and Catz is traditionally very strong when it comes to sport. The Men’s Football Team are competitive in the Premier Division of college football and reached the Cup-pers Final in 2010, with the 2nd XI winning the Reserves League and reaching the Cuppers Final last year. The Men’s Cricket and Hockey Team will compete in the top leagues this year follow-ing promotion last year, and the Mixed Hockey team will look to repeat their 2010 Cuppers Final Success. The Boat Club will seek to build on an extremely successful year, with the Men’s First Boat competing in an extremely tough Division I. The Rugby team currently find themselves in the 3rd Division, after coming 3rd in the top league in 2010, and will be pushing hard for promotion to get back where they belong. The important thing about sport at Catz is that although games are taken seriously and all teams seek to compete at the top level, all levels of ability are welcome and encouraged to get involved. and it is a great way to make friends and get involved in college life from the start of your time here.
If none of those sports take your fancy, there is plenty more to get involved in. Catz is the only college to run a Dodgeball club, al-
though this year may well involve competitive matches with other colleges. Catz Pool and Darts teams are in great shape, with Catz bar proving to be a fortress. See the list of clubs and captains for a list of opportunities – there really is something for everyone. As well as sport, there is plenty more to get involved in at Catz, with the Music and Drama Societies showcasing the hugely talented
Jack McKennaJCR Clubs and Socs Rep
students that we have in college, putting on regular performances during term time and the newly formed Poetry So-ciety set to offer more of the same.
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Men’s FootballCatz has 3 men’s football teams, meaning that you’re pretty much guaranteed at least one match a week if you want to. The firsts are pretty competitive and are working hard to preserve the Catz reputation as the ‘nearly team’, having come 2nd, 2nd, 3rd in the last 3 seasons in the uni’s top league, and been Cuppers runners up. Last season, the seconds were about as good as the thirds were bad, so it’s fair to say there’s a range of football on offer to you.Come and see us at the college clubs and socs fair to get on the mailing list, and keep an eye out for the trials in freshers week. Matches start in 1st week so pack your boots in and get involved.
lost to New College, a team consisting almost entirely of Uni players. If you fancy a bit of a laugh and a run-around, then Catz football is for you. We organise regular so-cials to bring the team together, and our termly ‘football cur-rys’ are the highlights of the football season!
It would be great to see as many of you as possible in our football team next term!
Chris [email protected]
1st XI Football Captain
Becky Wyatt and Ellie PinneyWomen’s Football Captains
[email protected]@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
Women’s FootballCatz football is a great way to socialise and meet new people in your year and other years. Any standard of player is welcome – it’s just seen as a bit of fun. This year Catz women made history by making it to the Cuppers final, where we narrowly
Depending on our success in the cup, we tend to have matches most weekends, but feel free to come along whenever you can.
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Sport at Catz, especially rugby, is something we take extremely seriously. We consist-ently feature in one of the top 3 university leagues; however, despite a good reputa-tion to uphold, Catz rugby is more than anything inclusive. Every year we are des-perate for players of any ability, especially props, to represent the college in both the league and cuppers and enjoy the many socials and meals that the team holds in just as much regard as the sport itself. It’s the easiest way of meeting other freshers and getting to know the older years and a chance to play the best sport in the world every week. If you have any questions or feel like you want to be involved please contact me!
Richard BrownRugby Captain
CricketFollowing a hugely successful season that included promotion to the top division for the 1st XI, and the 2nd XI only failing to win the T20 league in the last over of their last match, cricket at Catz is in a good place. Our team spirit and enjoyment of the game is the hallmark of both our teams, ensuring that regardless of whether you averaged 100 at school or you often confuse your silly mid wicket with your off stump, you are encouraged to get involved
Danny Smith1st XI Captain
RunningCatz has always had a large number of competitive and casual runners, but no society to unite them! The newly formed running society (or provisionally, the Saint Catherine’s College Cross Country Club, SCCCCC for short) will cater for serious and social runners alike. We will be having one ‘training’ run and one relaxed run each week.
The training run is not in competition with those of the Oxford Club, just a more con-venient session where you can train with your fellow Catz runners for the Cuppers. As a large college we should be winning the Cross Country and Athletics College Cuppers each year! So glory for Catz etc etc - lets win some trophies.The relaxed run is, as the name suggests, no pressure; for anyone who wants to go for a group run with the possibility of post-run cake.
If you are interested in either, then just drop me an email! Days for both will be announced shortly!
Good running!
Jamie ShadboltRunning Society Presi-
dentjamie.shadbolt@stcatz.
ox.ac.uk
in Trinity term and continue the successes of this season.
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TennisWomen’s tennis at Catz is both friendly and competitive. With two hard and grass courts on the sports grounds less than 5 minutes’ walk away from college, we have relaxed practices during term time for all abilities whilst also competing at a high standard in both the cuppers and league during Trinity. Last year we were the overall champions of both tournaments and hope to replicate this achievement this year. Therefore we would love it if you wanted to get involved!
Caroline PhelpsWomen’s Tennis Captain (last year)
Joshua ChapkinMen’s Tennis Captain
SquashWhether you’ve never swung a racquet before or you’ve been playing for years, squash is a great sport in which to par-ticipate competitively in inter-collegiate matches or just for fun in the college squash ladder. You get to meet new people, see other colleges and since it’s a Blues sport, if you get really good, you could play for the University!Catz has always put together a good squash team but to keep it at the top of its game, we need eager new freshers in October. That’s why we need YOU to come to try-outs at the college squash courts (in the gym) this Michaelmas and show us what you’re made of. We have two teams captained by Duncan Johnstone and me with the possibility to form a third accom-modating all skill levels.Come and try your hand at squash; a fun sport to pick up and one in which you can never stop improving your game!
Tom ScottSquash Captain
NetballAt Catz we have two netball teams, our first side plays in the 1st division, playing competitively every week against very good sides. Since we have lost some of our finalist players this year, we would really encourage anyone who wants to join up. We also have a second side which plays in the 4th division, so all abilities and levels of experience are welcome! As well as the League, Catz also enter a team into the Cuppers knock-out tournament in Trinity term and we hope this year to challenge the best. We have a great team spirit and hope to make it a really sociable team again this coming year with more practices and socials.
Catherine KentNetball Captain
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RowingYou can’t come to Oxford without giving rowing a try. It is esti-mated that around 1500 undergraduates row regularly, but you would have to head down to the river during one of the intercol-legiate competitions to truly experience the enormous scale of rowing in Oxford. Despite the great number of rowers across the university, college rowing remains a lot more personal. Camaraderie within crews builds quickly so that by the time you go on your first crew date or you are partying after the novice regatta at the end of your first term, you’ll have a large group of people to enjoy yourself with! It is this novice focus for the first term that creates a great envi-ronment in which to learn to row. Since the first major regatta is solely for novice rowers, at Catz we actively encourage people who have no rowing or coxing experience at all, so don’t worry about turning up and not having a clue if you haven’t tried it
before – no one else there will either! The first term is all about you guys enjoying learning to row and having fun in the regatta at the end.However, although the first term is heavily biased towards novice rowing, the next two terms provide for experienced rowers and novices alike. They have two major intercollegiate bumps races (yes, we actively try to crash the rowing boats into each other) which are some of the most exhilarating and fulfilling sporting events at the university - they attract huge crowds, allow you to represent your college (you’ll become fiercely proud), give an ex-cuse to crash rowing boats into each other and generally end with a party – what’s not to like?! Rowing at Catz isn’t all rowing (if that makes sense!). Joining the boat club gives you the opportunity to attend rowing social events throughout the year, from formal rowing society dinners to crew dates with other college boat clubs, which always prove to be a lot of fun and are an ideal way of making friends at other colleges. Rowing also offers many other opportunities, including travel. This year twelve Catz rowers travelled to South Korea to participate in an international regatta and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you have set your sights on rowing at a more advanced standard then there is the possibility of training and competing with the University teams. This may sound impossible at the moment but many Catz rowers have progressed to this level despite never having touched an oar prior to starting at Catz, earning a Blue, copious amounts of lycra and a lot of respect..!So whether you are aiming to be the next Matthew Pinsent (one of the colleges alumni!), or if you’d rather just go on the occa-sional outing to justify coming on some epic rowing socials, please come to the meeting in freshers’ week (see freshers’ timetable) to meet us all and find out more!!
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Misconception #1 – All rowers are pompous and stuck upOK, perhaps this may be true of some colleges (no names men-tioned!), but it is certainly not of Catz. Admittedly rowing com-pletes the Oxford stereotype triad which also includes croquet (with Pimms) and punting (with Pimms), but as you’ll soon find out all three are a great laugh!
Misconception #2 – Most rowers are 6’7” with arms like King Kong and pecs that they can make dance at willIt is also not true that all of the girls have beards and chest hair. All shapes and sizes are welcome (just wait until you see us lot!)
Misconception #3 – We all love rowing early in the morn-ingFunnily enough, we don’t. In fact, in your first term you are fairly unlikely to have to do any at all...
Misconception #4 – You have to have rowed at schoolNeither do you have to own a boat club blazer or be rich (although if you are, a donation would be much appreciated...)! However, jokes aside, whether you have previously rowed or not, you are more than welcome!
Ben Trigg, Emily Risness, Joshua Morgan and Joanna HarrallRowing Captains
[email protected]@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
[email protected]@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
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26Women’s BasketballWomen’s Basketball is one of the newest sports at Catz, having only begun training in Hilary Term 2011. We take things pretty casually, aiming just to get a good work-out and to have some fun, though we will also play some intercollegiate games. All ages, heights, and levels of experience (or utter lack thereof) are welcome. We look forward to welcoming you at one of our weekly training sessions!
Juliane GuderianWomen’s Basketball Captain
Men’s HockeyWe are lucky enough to have both a men’s and women’s hockey team at Catz, and a mixed team in Summer. The men’s team play most weekends and is a great mix of abilities, from people who have never played before to university players, all welded together by a great team spirit. Last year was surprisingly successful: the men’s team gained promotion to the premier division and survived there on goal differ-ence, whilst in mixed Cuppers we reached the semi-final (having won it the year be-fore last). Hockey at Catz is characterised by a friendly and laid back approach and we always need players. Get involved!
Christopher LambertMen’s Hockey Captain
Women’s HockeySt. Catz has a fantastic reputation in ladies hockey having won Cuppers in 2009 and 2010 and coming 3rd last season in the Di-vision 1 league. We are a friendly team who enjoy a weekly run around – it’s not taken too seriously! No matter what your ability, don’t be shy, please come and join us! If you have any questions please don’t hesi-tate to drop me an email. Look forward to meeting you in October!
May ChickWomen’s Hockey [email protected]
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DodgeballConsider yourself the next Patches O’Houlihan? Then you should join the nimble ranks of Catz dodgeball, the only and best team in the university and biggest in college. We want to hear from you whether you’re a tidy specialist or unsullied beginner. NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.
Fancy dress is vigorously encouraged, the more bizarre the better. Fun, active and most importantly, balls deep in banter! We hope to mongoose alongside you soon, re-member those 5 D’s of Dodgeball, dodge, duck, dip, dive and…..dodge!
Matthew Owton and Owen LeyshonDodgeball Captains
[email protected]@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
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MusicThe Music Society at Catz is brimming with the diversity that permeates our entire student body, and enjoys a healthy reputation within the university. Mu.Soc is entirely student run and is keen to jump on any musical bandwagon that is pre-sented to it.
Musical life at Catz revolves primarily around the acclaimed “Concerts at Catz” series, which consists of weekly recitals, held in our purpose-built Music House, which, Catz being a non-denominational College, is our version of the Chapel. The series also hosts masterclasses, choral and orchestral concerts and chamber music recitals given by performers from within and without College. In Trinity of every year the Music Society hosts the sell-out Summer Showcase, as part of Catz Arts Week, which presents the College’s finest entertainers with a programme ranging from Chopin to jazz to beat boxing.
Termly Open Mic Nights have become a fixture on the calendar, when the JCR is invaded by drum kits and microphones and anyone and everyone is welcome to have a jam. Catz is lucky to have links with
Oxford legends such as Out Of The Blue, Dot’s Funk Odyssey, The Alternotives amongst other ensembles which on occa-sion come and and whack out a pre-Entz set.
The highly respected Catz Quintet sadly is no more, as its founders graduated in July, but this does mean that there is now room for another Catz ensemble to dominate Oxford’s classical scene.
Facilities:
The afore-mentioned Music House doubles up as the College’s main practice room, with two grand pianos (Steinway and Kawai), a further Blüthner grand in the Bernard Sunley theatre, and a harpsichord. Weekly choir rehearsals are also held in this wondrous hexagonal venue, which can be booked out for personal use via the online booking system.
A second, smaller, room is available in the JCR, which houses the JCR drum kit and the beloved pub piano. This is a favourite haunt for College bands who use it as a jam venue in the evenings. For those who like to spin, the College owns a set of DJ decks which are available to practice on,
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should you have booked an Entz set.
The Repetiteur Scholarship, our version of the Organ Scholar, is given out during the interview process, but Catz also offers up to three Leask Music Awards a year. This award, consisting of a scholarship to assist students with the cost of music tuition, is auditioned for in Hilary Term.
For any more information on the musical goings on at Catz join the Facebook group “St Catherine’s College Music Society: Concerts @ Catz”, drop me an email, or come for a chat during Freshers’ Week. Very much looking forward to a new wave musical action!
Peace, Maria PerevedentsevaMu.Soc President
ChoirCatz choir is a great ensemble for sing-ers of all levels - it’s a casual non-audition ensemble but that doesn’t mean we can’t tackle some challenging repertoire if we want to! All it means is that it’s a low commitment (one rehearsal a week), and at 5:45 on a Friday afternoon it’s a good way to fill the time between your brain turning to butter (normally between 3 and 5) and getting a good meal in hall at seven. Sometimes you just have to get out of your room and do something different - we have Historians, Lawyers, Mathemati-cians as well as Musicians. The main events of the year are the traditional Christmas carol service in 8th week of Michaelmas and the Summer Showcase in Trinity term, with numbers from this year ranging from a brilliantly polyphonic ‘Deck the Halls’ to a home-made gospel medley and a modern arrangement of ‘God So Loved The World’. There will be emails coming round when choir starts, so if you’re at all interested be sure to head down at the beginning of term and we’d love to have you! Nick
Nick BarstowChoir [email protected]
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30Poetry Society
The Catz Poetry Society is here for those who, quite frankly, love poetry! All genres are welcome, whether you’re a raging Romantic, a pentameter pedantic, a musing Modernist or a free-verse fanatic. There will be readings of original or third-party pieces, as well as open discussions of po-ems. For more information, contact me.
Benson EgwuonwuPoetry Society President
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DartsCatz Darts had an excellent season last year, with the team securing promotion as runaway league winners. But there is much more to Catz Darts than the unquestion-ably outstanding arrow skill – some might call it an ethos, others a unique spirit, and still others a ways of life.
Benjamin StokesDarts Captain
PoolPool at Catz is strong, with our Firsts last year gaining a promotion, and the Seconds narrowly missing out in Playoffs. With a match a week during Michaelmas Term, it gives you a great chance to visit other colleges (and their bars!), and again in Cuppers in Hilary Term. The tables usually cost 30p a game, but come along to our practice sessions for some free games in the JCR. Any level of ability is welcome, even if you don’t make the teams then you can still come along and play at practices. There’s also a recently renovated snooker table above the Gym, with kit available for anybody who wants to try it out.
James Foster and Danny SmithPool Captains
[email protected]@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
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What does it mean to be a Catz Biologist? Well, I get up at 7.30 and stumble to the showers, then grab a bite to eat and head of to my 9 0’clock lecture to learn all sorts of fascinating informa-tion about living stuff. Then if that is not enough information for one morning we head up into the labs and learn about some dead stuff by cutting up some small creature to find out how its insides work. Then as the biologists are generally a very friendly bunch, we all decamp to the legendary Darwins café to get some lunch and have a good chat, preferably about something non biologi-cal as we then had back at 2 0’clock into the lecture theatre for more learning about stuff (and there seems to be a never ending amount to know).
After the teaching day is over there are all sort of things that need doing, anything from a tutorial to shopping or rushing back to col-lege to finish and send the next essay. We seem to all convene at some point in someone’s room to discuss work (strongly advis-able!), we can then feel virtuous and get some typing done before food. Then I will often rush (I always seem to be in rather a hurry) to the union to go to a debate or hear one of their amazing speakers (there are a massive number of things to do in Oxford so I can guarantee that you will always be busy). This does seem highly dependent on the amount of work that I have at the time and often entails working on the next essay until late then getting some much needed sleep and doing the whole thing again next day. I have learned to become good at time management and get work done as soon it is set (however bizarre that may seem to
you at the moment), this means that I have time to do other things. Somehow I manage to fit more in to a day than you would think humanly possible, which means that your social life will be in no way impeded (you will learn to be superhuman!).
Robin LucasBiology
Hae Won Song, Chemistry
I’m a chemist, and it’s not a lie to say we are the one of the busiest people in Oxford. For first years, lectures begin at 9 am every day of the week pretty much all year, so it will naturally fit into a pat-tern after a few weeks; as for me 8.00am have a shower, 8.20am have breakfast, and 8.40am meet up with the other chemists to walk to the lectures together. This is a great thing about being a Catz chemist – there are so many of you so you’ll always have someone to walk/run/cycle with.
At the beginning of the week, the afternoon often involves a tute or two, generally three per week if it’s a good week or even up to six including extra classes. The tute times are generally flex-ible, and most tutors are ok with swapping groups. Thursdays and Fridays are the lab days – head straight to the labs after lectures at 11am and depending on which experiments you do, it can end as
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early as 1pm or as late as 5pm.
Any spare time I have, I use to sort my life out - filing the lecture notes, take a nap or finishing that last bit of the tute sheet. In the evenings I either stay in to do work, or go out to see friends and enjoy myself. Weekends are for me to catch up on sleep and work, attempting to keep evenings as free as possible – a good break is essen-tial. Also I’m in the music society so I get loads of emails about performances that are happening around in Oxford which is a good way to wind down after a stressful day – I’d say don’t let go of any opportuni-ties, go and make the most of the fact that you’re here.
Hae Won SongChemistry
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FacilitiesLibrary
For those who don’t fancy a trip to Ox-ford’s many vast academic libraries, you’re more than welcome to enjoy the Catz col-lege library. It is stocked with approximate-ly 50,000 volumes for your perusal. With two floors, a computer room and many desks, it is fit for those who either want to dip in and borrow a book, or for those who want to study there for a longer period of time. The opening hours are from 8am - midnight daily, during term time.
Porters’ Lodge (Podge)
The Porters’ Lodge serves many important functions. It is literally the first port-of-call for new arrivals, as it is from here that you will collect your room keys, and be directed to your staircases.
The Lodge is where you collect post and packages from your pidge (located on the ground floor), as well as collecting deliver-ies (such as pizza). It is a facility for sending internal post within the university, and external post outside the university.
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It is also the place to go if you want to book out certain rooms in College, the Catz Sports grounds, or tennis courts.
Above all, the Porters are your go-to guys in case of an emergency, or security and safety concerns. The Lodge is occupied 24/7, so there is always at least one Porter present. In particular, they are in charge of dealing with fire alarms, and will be alerted as soon as an alarm is triggered. Common causes include: clumsy cooking, and the liberal use of deodorant, so take care in those staircases!
Laundry Room
We have a self-service laundry room, ideal for those who’d rather not hand-wash their garments! A wash or a tumble-dry is £1.28. The laundry room is also home to two vending machines; one is loaded with chocolate, sweets and crisps, and the other is stocked with soft drinks.
Gym
For the budding bench pressers, and tread-mill trotters, Catz has a small gym. On the bottom floor, there is a weights room, two squash courts, and a table tennis table. On
the top floor, there are running machines, cycles, rowing machines and a snooker table too. Before being granted access on your Bod Card, you’ll have to pay the £3 membership fee and complete the gym induction.
Food in College
If you want to cook, you can use the kitch-enettes present in each staircase. There are hobs, toasters, microwaves and fridges provided, but we highly recommend that you bring your own cooking utensils.
If you don’t want to cook, you can simply get food from the Hall. All of the following meals are available in the Hall, along with vegetarian options:
Breakfast runs from 8.15 am to 8.45 am, Monday - Saturday. There is a variety of food, including yoghurt, fruit, and a full English breakfast. You can buy 8 items for £2.10 Buttery is available from 10.00am – 11.45am and 2.00pm – 4.30pm on week-days. It’s especially convenient for grabbing a snack if you’ve missed breakfast!
Lunch runs from 12.45 pm - 1.30 pm on weekdays, and 12.45 pm - 1.15pm on weekends. A full lunch (i.e. main course and dessert) costs £3.66.
Scaf is a fast-food style dinner with a can-teen service, available from 6.00 pm - 6.45 pm from Monday to Friday.
Dinner is served in the hall, from 7.15 pm - 8.00 pm from Monday to Friday. Tea and coffee is available after the meal. On Saturdays, a canteen service is used from 7.00 pm - 7.30 pm on Saturdays. The cost is £3.64. No dinner is served on Sundays.
GlossaryHere are a selection of words, phrases and terms that you will encounter, and later come to use, during your time at Oxford:
Arne JacobsonThe esteemed architect of the college.
BattelsCollege fees and domestic charges paid at the start of each term.
Benedictus BenedicatThe Latin blessing uttered before every evening meal in the Hall. Translates into ‘May the Blessed one give a Blessing.’
BlueAn award for representing Oxford or Cambridge university in a sporting event. Also refers to a sportsperson who has represented either university.
Bod Card The Mastercard of Oxford. It functions as: a door key; a means of cashless payment in colleges; and a form of student ID.
CollectionsInternal exams scheduled at the beginning
of every term, devised to keep you on your academic toes after the holidays.
College ParentsA student duo who will be your mentors and ’parents’ during your stay at Catz. Note: they are not necessarily united in matrimony.
Crew date An occasion where different crews (e.g. sports teams, subject groups etc) meet up for dinner, drinks and entertainment.
CuppersAn intercollegiate competition in Oxford or Cambridge. Ranges from sport, to the arts.
Dean, theHead of discipline in the college. Thus, to be ‘Deaned’ means ‘to be disciplined’ by the Dean in the form of a warning or some other undesirable punishment.
EntzShort for ‘entertainment’, used to describe our fortnightly college parties. Other col-leges may use the term ‘bop’ (an acronym for ‘Big Open Party).
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Essay crisis The awkward moment when you realise you’ve left yourself less than a day to re-search and complete a 2000 word essay.
FinalsThe final exams of your degree. Unlike Mods, Prelims and collections, these actu-ally count towards your final grade.
Fifth Week BluesA mid-term slump where students are more tired and irritable than usual.
G&D’sAn ice cream cafe, with several establish-ments dotted around Oxford.
HallA full three course dinner, served by wait-ers in the dining Hall, from 7pm - 8pm on weekdays.
Hassan’sA popular kebab van situated on Broad Street. Often visited after a night out, or after an Entz.
Hassan’s Walk The act of going to Hassan’s to buy food. It’s also a college jingle.
Hilary TermThe second term of the academic year, from January to March.
JCRJunior Common Room. The collective name for the Catz undergraduate student body, as well as a name for our living area.
JCR Constitution, theThe rules, regulations and principles of the JCR, as developed by Catz undergraduates.
Lola LoA Hawaiian themed nightclub.
MagdalenPronounced ‘more-d’lin’ - another col-lege in Oxford, with which Catz shares a nebulous rivalry.
MatriculationBeing formally initiated as a member of the University of Oxford. Up until 1960, this involved sitting an exam; now all you have to do is listen to some Latin.
MCRMiddle Common Room. Similar to the JCR, but for graduate students instead.
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Michaelmas TermThe first term of the academic year, from October to December. It is pronounced as ‘Mick-ul-mus’ rather than ‘My-call-mass.’
ModsShort for ‘Moderations.’ These are the first public exams in your first year, and deter-mine whether you progress to the next year of study.
NexusHome to your new email address, and the university email network.
Patches O’HoulihanDodgeball extraordinaire from the movie ‘Dodgeball.’
Pidge (pigeonhole)Your own little mailbox in the Porters’ Lodge.
PrelimsShort for ‘Preliminary examinations.’ Syn-onymous with Mods.
PuntingA popular activity in summer, where peo-ple push a ‘punt’ (flat bottomed boat) along the river, with a long pole.
StaircaseApart from being a flight of stairs, a staircase is an accommodation block of bedrooms, kitchens, and various other rooms (including tutor offices). There are 26 different staircases in Catz.
Sub-fusc Formal academic dress, consisting of a dark suit and socks, black shoes, a white bow tie, and plain white shirt and collar for men; and a dark skirt or trousers, a white blouse, black tie, black stockings and shoes for women. Compulsory attire for Matricu-lation and Public Exams.
Trinity TermThe last term of the academic year, from April to June.
Tute (tutorial)A weekly session with your tutor, where you discuss and evaluate the subject topics and assignments. Intellectual torture for the unprepared.
UpayThe website/system where you reload your Bod Card with money, and make other payments too.
QuadA round, well mown section of grass in the centre of the College grounds.
RAGAn acronym for ‘Raise and Give’ (although the origin is disputed). A RAG is a student-run organisation which fundraises for various charities.
RusticationTemporary expulsion from Oxford.
ScafFast food dinner, with a canteen service, from 6pm - 6.45pm in the dining hall on weekdays.
ScoutsCollege cleaners who hoover your floors, change your bedding and empty your bins.
SCRSenior Common Room. The living area for tutors and staff.
Sent downPermanent expulsion from Oxford.
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Publications RepHi, I’m Erk and the current publications rep. My role includes making this fresh-ers’ guide as well as helping you with any publication need. Generally I make posters for events upon request but I can also give advice on any specific topic.
I hope the guide has made you more pre-pared for the Oxford life, however if there is anything you would like to know more about then please contact me. Enjoy the extra month in your summer break and I’ll see you in freshers’ week!
Erk AngpanitcharoenJCR Publications Rep
Freshers’ Guide [email protected]
St Catherine’s College Junior Common Room
St Catherine’s College, Manor Road, Oxford, OX1 3UJjcr.stcatz.ox.ac.uk
