Freshers

Welcome Freshers!

Allow us to introduce ourselves – we’re Jo and Andy and we’re your Fresher’s Week coordinators for this coming October! Along with our amazing team of Freps it’s our job to make sure that you all get settled into John’s and make the most out of your first few weeks in Durham.

Firstly, we’d like to say a massive congratulations – you’ve already guaranteed yourself an amazing 3 or 4 years by deciding to come to John’s! It’s known as the friendliest college in Durham and because it’s also the second smallest, there’s a great cosy, family-like atmosphere. It also excels at sport, music, and pretty much anything it turns its hand to! There’s loads to get involved with as well, and we’re sure that you’ll really enjoy it!

Coming to University can be quite a daunting prospect, but let us assure you that it can also be an incredible experience. However, if there’s anything at all that you’re concerned about, then feel free to get in contact. Our email addresses are: joanna.sears@durham.ac.uk(Jo) and andrew.miller@durham.ac.uk (Andy) and we’ll do our best to put your mind at ease. We remember our Freshers’ Week as if it was yesterday and we can also remember how nervous we were!! But once you get here you’ll realise what a great place John’s is and we’re sure you’ll feel at home right away.

For now, just relax until Freshers’ Week begins – and get lots of sleep! Have a read through the Freshers’ Pack when you get it– there’s a lot there but it’s well worth a look.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we’ll see you soon!

News

Ooh, all the lovely new news!

This Week

New Academic Year 2009/10

Download whichever "This  Week" straight onto your desktop from the links below:

Bar

The St. John's College Cellar Bar is situated on the highest of three levels of cellars underneath Linton house. Serving a full range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, at some of the lowest prices in Durham, John's Bar aims to provide a welcoming atmosphere to everyone... especially Johnians.

Social events take place in the bar on a fairly regular basis, often consisting of lots of people dressing up in silly costumes! The bar serves a variety of real ales, and aims to serve you an awesome pint. It is also home to the now legendary Tripod, exclusive to John’s, and the staple drink of any respectable college bar crawl.

Regular Special Offers are - TRIPOD - £4 / DOUBLE & MIXER - £2.50

Bar rules - there are no rules! But if you throw up in the bar you will be fined £20, and if you are caught canoodling, you get a pint of very cold water thrown over the pair of you... no-one needs to see that!

Chapel

The College Chapel is the Chapel of St Mary-the-less and it used to be a parish church.  Cranmer Hall share it with John's Hall and all services are open and welcoming to anyone who would like to worship with us.

There are services every day and some of these are specifically Methodist services because Methodist ministers train at Wesley Study Centre which is part of Cranmer Hall.

• 7:30 am Holy Communion
• 8:30 am Morning Prayer
• 1:30 pm College Prayer
• 4:30 Evening Prayer

• 8:30 am Morning Prayer
• 7:30 pm College Communion (Leech Hall)

• 8:30 am Morning Prayer
• 5:30 pm Choral Evensong

• 8:30 am Morning Prayer
• 1:30 pm Methodist Communion
• 6:00 pm Methodist Evening Worship (Leech Hall)

• 7:30 am Holy Communion
• 8:30 am Morning Prayer
• 4:30 pm Evening Prayer

• 9:00 pm Compline

All servcies use Common Worship except the Methodist services and Choral Evensong which is led by St John's College Choir and is based on the Book of Common Prayer

There is only one sevice on Sunday, led by St John's College choir, because the Cranmer ordinands are on placement in local churches on Sundays.

The main service of the week is College Communion on Tuesday evenings where there are a range of preachers invited over the term, including tutors from Cranmer Hall.  During the Communion at this service there is an opportunity to be prayed for in a quiet corner by some of the ordinands.

At this service John's Hall students are invited to read a reading from the Bible or chalice bear at Communion.  It is a great opportunity for students of John's Hall and Cranmer to worship together and to take part in the service together as one college.

There are Chapel Wardens who set up for services before they start and clear away again aftwerwards and generally take care of the Chapel.  There are five Chapel Wardens from Cranmer and there are two spaces for Chapel Wardens from John's Hall.

Laura Baker is the John's Hall Chapel Warden at the moment so if you are interested in becoming the second Chapel Warden then Laura would be delighted to meet you and discuss it a bit more.  It is a very enjoyable role and it gives a great opportunity to get to know the Cranmer ordinands more.

The Chapel Team are very friendly and easy going and it is led by a Chapel Team Co-ordinator from Cranmer.  So if you're interested in becoming a Chapel Warden or would like to take part in College Communion then do please email Laura at: l.m.baker@dur.ac.uk.

You are very welcome to come and join in the services and we look forward to seeing you!

Food

Formals

At regular intervals throughout term the senior tutor hosts formal dinners. The dining hall gets jazzed up and they break out the good stuff (food only unfortunately). Though the bar will often open earlier so you can grab a bottle of wine for the evening's festivities. Best of all, formals are completely free and everyone is invited.

To attend formals, you must be a registered member of the JHJCR website (you’ll find out how to do this when you get here). Log in, fill in your dietary requirements and sign up when the time comes. Signup is first come first served and often fills up quickly, so make sure you remember the signup time! You can also bring a guest, by emailing me and letting me know so we can sort it out.

Formal wear and gowns must be worn at all times throughout the formal. Formal wear for men is a smart suit and tie, and for women is a smart top and skirt/trousers or a dress. Occasionally a particular formal might require fancy dress or black tie to be worn (black tie for men being a dinner suit, aka a tux, and a dress or smart top and skirt for women).

Please enjoy yourselves at formals but also bear in mind the enjoyment of others. Whilst John’s is not as strict as some other colleges, you will still be liable to be ejected and fined if your behaviour is deemed unsuitable or if you are not attired correctly. For example, you are required to bow to the top table if you have to leave or enter the dining hall at any time. This is generally done with a self-conscious grin, or slightly wine-induced over-flamboyancy, but shouldn’t be seen as something scary. You should get a nice nod of approval in response from the Principal. Which is always good.

In charge of formals: Sam Broster, Estates Manager (johns.estates@durham.ac.uk)

Health and Safety

JJCR Shop

The JJCR Shop is found in the Bailey Room, and is open for half an hour after the bar closes, although we are looking into extending our opening hours. This depends on whether we can find enough volunteers for shifts – hint hint! Well stocked with sandwiches, chocolate, crisps and drinks, the shop is the place to go to when you need an energy boost to get you through that all-nighter! The shop is also proud of its commitment to Fair Trade, with a selection of Fair Trade goods on sale.

Manager: Phil Woodall (p.j.f.woodall@durham.ac.uk)

Just World Shop

The Just World Shop began as a small stall opening twice a week in the room now used by maintenance inside St. John’s College about 26 years ago. It was started by some of those who went on to found Traidcraft! About six years ago the shop moved to its current position on the Bailey, allowing access to outside customers.

The JWS exists to raise awareness and promote fair trade amongst students and local residents. It is not primarily a profit-making venture, although money we do make is donated to charities and used for any shop expenses. We have in the past had standing orders set up with a few charities, including Christian Aid, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, and Tearfund.

The shop is run entirely by volunteers, and is open from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday (providing the shifts are all filled!). It sells a wide range of Fairly Traded goods, including chocolate, crisps, drinks, cards and gifts. It is also supported by a Fair Trade vending machine, which can be found at the end of Cranmer, and is regularly refilled. You can sign up for a shift at any time, and it is known to be one of the most sociable places in college, providing a thoroughfare for John’s students and thus countless opportunities for chats, as well as being an excellent place to work when it’s quiet.

Managers: Hannah Butler (h.r.butler@durham.ac.uk) and Naomi Parker (n.s.parker@durham.ac.uk)
Treasurer: Vivian Lai (vivian.lai@durham.ac.uk)

JWS Coffee Shop

Library

Librarian: Jane Ghosh (j.a.ghosh@durham.ac.uk)
Library Rep: Edmund Waddelove (e.l.waddelove@durham.ac.uk)

Room Ballot

A list of available will be released after exams next term before the room allocation takes place. At this point it is worth getting an idea of what these rooms are like, I'm sure people won't mind too much if you knock on their door and ask to have a look. The more information you have to help you no allocation day the better.

Room Ballot 2010/11

1. Emma Grimwood
   
2. Eliza Sawyer
   
3. Roberta Liddle
   
4. Clare Bliss
   
5. Edward Moore
   
6. Scott Pryor
   
7. Juliet Heyes
   
8. Henry Charles Starr Elston
   
9. Rachael Loades
   
10. Alexandra Miller
    
11. Abigail Trickey
    
12. Kai Leung
    
13. Ana Walpole
    
14. Gunnar Ro
    
15. Sean Illing
    
16. Lucy Cornell
    
17. Golnaz Whittaker
    
18. Helena Longman
    
19. Joanna Heath
    
20. Clare Smith
    
21. Kristina Wooddin
    
22. Rachel Scarfe
    
23. Anneka Sirs
    
24. Sarah Spikesly
    
25. Sarah Page
    
26. Katie Mckeogh
    
27. David Reynolds
    
28. Jean Kabasomi
    
29. Antoni Otulakowski
    
30. Max Foxall
    
31. May Millburn-Fryer
    
32. Charlotte Hansford
    
33. Amelia Nickols
    
34. Laura Lilley
    
35. Jess Trigg
    
36. Helen Berryman
    
37. Edd Watts
    
38. Richard Heerey
    
39. Tom Callis
    
40. Zoe Richardson
    
41. Francis Handzel
    
42. Dave Mentlak
    
43. Tom Jorden
    
44. Kate Elmer
    
45. Kate Godfree
    
46. Andy Miller
    
47. Tessa Dagley
    
48. Amy Anderson
    
49. Oliver Hooper
    
50. Daniel Gilbert
    
51. William Deadman
    
52. Steph Hannah
    
53. Sophie Franks
    
54. Sin Wai Yuen
    
55. Daniel Brain
    
56. Tommy Purkis
    
57. Brady Ledger
    
58. Sarah Price
    
59. Melissa Charters
    
60. Sarah Williams
    
61. Charlotte Roberts
    
62. Jan Felix
    
63. Lucy Pearson
    
64. Nicholas Hughes
    
65. Fay Townsend
    
66. Helen Canny
    
67. Edmund Waddelove
    
68. Joanna Sears
    
69. Phillip Woodall

Social Events

So what events do we actually organise for all you lucky, lucky people??

• 6 Mega-formals each year (2 per term). They are held in Leech Hall, and are called ‘Mega’ because, well, they are ‘Mega-Fun’. They are bigger and better than normal formals (sorry Ben!), people tend to get drunker and afterwards there is a chance to get down and groovy old-school style at the ‘infamous’ Bops...
• 3 Balls, one each term. They cost around £40-60 each, but are well worth it! The Bailey Ball, held in November, is the biggest of these as it is held around college itself. It takes a lot of planning and is utterly chaotic, and, we hope, fun! So I will be looking for any volunteers who want to get into the College spirit and get stuck in to help with decorating etc. - payment/bribery to be decided!
• John’s Day. The day we show the rest of the university that John’s is the place to be! It’s a day of live music, entertainments and Pimms, and is held after exams in the last term.

• In addition to these traditional events, I would like to hear of any Ents that you want to see being held in college. We have already held our first John’s-Chad’s Day (run by our VP Steph), and I would love to see new and popular events happening in college, just to prove how sociable we really are!
• We also always need extra help, so if you have any musical or artistic skills you would like to input, just let me know!

Toastie Bar

John’s Toastie Bar occurs every Wednesday and Saturday evening, from 9.30 – 11pm in the Bailey Room (although the toasties are created and cooked in the kitchen of 23 North Bailey, and couriered along the Bailey by a trusty volunteer). The toasties are very reasonably priced, and the flavours are extremely varied (often verging on bizarre). Toastie Bar is also run by volunteers, who are well rewarded at the end of the night by a free toastie of choice (usually humongous in a bid to use up the leftover ingredients). Get involved!

Year Abroad

Johnians Abroad

For now you can read Chris Gough's article on the sub-page. More contents will come later.

Articles from Abroad 2008/09

Below are links to articles that students on a year abroad have written to tell us a bit about their life in a foreign country.

Chris Gough's article - Toulouse, France

We learn in this article about the life and times of Chris Gough, third year French and German student, who is currently studying in Toulouse, France.

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Wish You Were Here...?

                                                                       

Many of you are probably wondering what all the fuss is about. I mean, what could possibly be so great about spending a year in a foreign country, without Durham, without friends and, above all, without Klute?
For some, it’s just a compulsory part of their modern languages degree. However, for most (get ready for an extended list of clichés) it’s about finding oneself, about learning things one could never find in any library or lecture theatre…
I must say that I’m yet to experience any of the above: I found myself years ago; an arrogant chauvinist with a penchant for pomposity. And as far as becoming a rounded individual is concerned, Jayne’s Place has done sterling work thus far.

Before one can even begin to take advantage of the benefits on offer in a foreign land, there is a number of rather disorganised hurdles to overcome. Even getting to Toulouse is an endeavour worthy of the greatest mythical hero if you live anywhere north of Milton Keynes, and so outside the catchment area of Gatwick. Then, there’s the weight limit imposed on luggage by the fascist airlines: Ryanair and Easyjet are notorious for their adamantine approach to weight limits. Usually, one has to condense one’s life into a travel sized, 20kg receptacle. I had trouble enough doing this, so goodness knows how my female colleagues fared.
Once I had finally arrived in Toulouse and had paid my €20 (about £16 at the time of writing) for the taxi ride into town, I faced an even graver problem than the earlier luggage detritus…

I arrived at my French halls of residence at about 5 p.m. – perhaps not the most unusual time of day to expect things to be open. But alas, the reception shut at 4 p.m., meaning that I had no idea where my room was, let alone a key with which to access it.
Very fortunately, I managed to get a reasonable priced hotel room near the town centre and I moved into my ‘room’ the next day.
Toulouse itself is a beautiful city: the town hall putting almost all others in the shade with its subtle pink façade and the sprawling square in front of it. The people here, unlike the Parisians, are incredibly friendly. You would be hard-pushed to find someone who would refuse to engage you in conversation. And the weather? Well in October, Toulouse experiences temperatures which would leave Brighton’s beaches packed and Reading without use of their hosepipes.

My first impressions of my cell were not great. Flicking the light switch was futile, as none of the 3 lights in the room worked. Having told reception about this, it took them 24 hours to put down their Gauloises and foie gras and come and fix the lights.
Next, I set about trying to make some friends on my dingy corridor. However, pickings were slim at best; a 30 year old Vietnamese aeronautics apprentice, whose name I still can’t pronounce, and a trainee librarian called Jasper, who had the personality of one of the mould growths on my bedroom wall. This was unlikely to be a loud, alcohol-fuelled corridor.

My first visit to the university (a 40 minute bus and subway ride) where I was to study was an eye-opener to say the least. If the architect was trying to keep in the style of the surrounding area – run-down blocks of flats and ubiquitous urban decay – he did an excellent job. The organisation was almost as shoddy as the building in which it was housed. Having filled out the needlessly complicated registration form (with a lot of help from some very kind French students), it was, for me anyway, a matter of turning up to whichever classes you wanted. Needless to say, I gave myself a particularly strenuous timetable involving a 4 day weekend and no morning classes whatsoever…

So, would I say the year abroad is a good thing? Put simply, yes it is. It really is the best way of learning a language, my French having improved greatly in a few weeks, and having to live in a foreign country will leave you able to cope with anything.

Above all, it makes you feel lucky to be at a university where the administrative staff at least know what day of the week it is…span