Class of 2019
HARRIS MANCHESTER COLLEGE
ALPACA-MANIA Herds storm the quad | MAY MORNING Memories from times gone by | EDWARDIAN FÊTE Look back on the Summer Event | SPORTS UPDATE Trinity Term in Sports| IN MEMORIAM A goodbye
NEWSLETTER
JUNe 20th, 2019
| ISSUE no 5
Exams have come to an end, and as per tradition, our dear finalists have been trashed and celebrated. Read Wai Chong Mak's valedictory speech once more, as we send our finalists off into the world.
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from the editor
Welcome to the last newsletter of the 2018/19 academic year!
IN THIS ISSUE
Editor's note Valedictory Speech May Morning Memories HMC Summer Event Bonnie&Clyde Review Women's Self-Defence Class Alpaca-mania Graduate Research Day Hertford Exchange Photo Competition: Nature Trinity Term Sports In Memoriam
What a term. I know I've said this about other terms as well, but oh boy, I can’t believe how much has happened these past eight weeks. It's been a term of loss and sadness, in a way I've never experienced before; but incredibly, it's been a term of new and happy experiences as well. We as a college have had the pleasure of welcoming a group of new students into our midst; we've enjoyed a wonderful summer event together, and even had the Arlosh quad lawn mowed by a small herd of alpacas. Who knew HMC was so instagrammable? I've seen friends finish their finals after sharing long nights with them in the library; seeing them exit Exam Schools for the last time fills me with a weird mix of pride, joy, and melancholy - you'd almost think I was the one graduating. It's hard to say goodbye to the people who’have modeled the HMC spirit for me, even though these kinds of goodbyes aren’t forever (hopefully). I count myself lucky to know what it feels like to be part of such a caring college. I've seen how our community has been there for one another, as we tried to say our real goodbyes earlier this term. I hope we can continue to be a network of support, wherever people end up. So, to all the finalists: Thank you for making HMC what it is - take care of yourselves! I'm so excited to see how you guys will be changing the world! And to everyone else: we've got big shoes to fill, but there's nobody I'd rather build community with! See you after the long vac!
Bianca M. Rasmussen, editor
In my first year, I flooded my bathroom. I was absent-minded enough to leave the tap running as I left for the ball committee meeting. I returned to an overflowing sink and a waterlogged bathroom floor and didn't think really much of it. It all changed when the fire alarm didn't stop going off through the night. It was good fire safety training for the college but I'm sure those drills were not appreciated when I received tired and annoyed glances the following morning at breakfast. It was also the start of the love hate relationship that I share with Ross – our junior dean - who was unfortunately responsible for turning off the fire alarm that night. Till this day, that remains one of my definitive memories of Oxford. And herein lies my first point; you won't remember the long nights in the library or the times you dress up in fancy attire and pay exorbitant amounts for a ball. You'll remember the silly times, so cherish those moments and don't be too preoccupied with living what you feel is the Oxford way of life. In my second year, I lived in a land far removed from the luxury of scouts and cooked meals with a generous salad spread. I therefore relied on a rigorous once a month hoovering schedule and regular trips to Tesco that placed a strain on my incredibly limited cooking competences. This brings me to my second point – give your scouts, and Tina, Paula, Simon, Nick, or Stuart a huge hug the next time you see them. They truly go above and beyond for us and although veggie Tuesdays now seem questionable, they are a huge upgrade when compared to the potatoes with a side of potatoes we used to get on Tuesdays. In my third year, I returned to the comfort of college, developed a disturbingly symbiotic relationship with our college library, bid adieu to the boxers, and fell in love with an amazing girl for the first time in three years. It was a year full of surprises and unexpected changes. Which brings me to my last point, one that is especially relevant to the second years. Many will tell you that your final year will be centered around long hours in the library and brief minutes in the pub. That is however entirely up to you. You can still drink and revise. But go easy on the celebrations – it’s hard to complete your assignments when you’re passed out on the floor. To the first years, you are all an amazing bunch and I hope that as you enter your second year, you'll continue to make HMC a warm and welcoming environment for the incoming freshers. HMC has always prided itself on an inclusive and home-style environment and I'm more than confident you will do a fantastic job in maintaining this. To the second years, final year is fast approaching but really there's not much to it. People like to over-hype finals. I'll let you in on a little secret - we as finalists just pretend to be stressed out so that we can get our way around college. How stressful can it possibly be when all we have to do is read? Use that to your advantage next year, play the finalists’ card, and you'll be amazed at how many things you can get away with. And finally, to the finalists: as it becomes ever more apparent that our chapter at Oxford is nearing its conclusion, I hope that it does not mark the end of our friendship. In the years that follow, there will be class reunions to attend — and to miss. Baby showers. Weddings. Visits to hospitals and even prison. On each of these occasions, when we briefly reunite from our diverging paths, I hope we will un-pause instead of replaying the time we have shared, just as we did over the last three years.
by Wai Chong Mak
Valedictory Speech
Traditions have a way of connecting us across generations. Celebrating May Morning is one of the special Oxford traditions which students from all colleges and courses come to share; the tradition of singing from Magdalen Tower is believed to have started in 1509 upon completion of the tower. Since then, welcoming the summer to Oxford has been an experience which every student seems to share; the early morning light over the packed bridge, the Morris Dancers, and people of all ages passing by the old buildings which have seen so many students come and go. The newsletter has gathered a few memories from the revelries this year, and a special walk down memory lane provided by one of our HMC alumni.
photos by Chelsea Hill
by B. Rasmussen
May Morning
Right: Memory from Magdalen Bridge (Joshua Riddick). Below, from the left: Sabrina Apitz-Grossman, Jordan Briggs, Iiris Lamminmäki, Tamsin Thackery, Chelsea Hill.
May Morning 1989
Karen Bento was a student at Manchester College from 1988-1989. This is her memory of that first day in May.
Karen Bento studied Victorian Era literature at Manchester College in 1988-1989, through Marist College’s study abroad program. She currently resides in the United States and works as a freelance writer. Follow @karenskindredspirit on Instagram for more!
"A hush comes over the crowd - everyone has been waiting for this moment all night."
by Karen Bento
photos courtesy of Karen Bento.
The air is crisp, energized, palpable. Little, white, crabapple blossoms flutter to the ground and dot High Street. Birds chirp from treetops. Thousands and thousands of revelers, many who haven’t crawled into bed yet, gather around the base of Magdalen Tower well before 6 o'clock in the morning. A hush comes over the crowd -- everyone has been waiting for this moment all night -- choristers begin singing Hymnus Eucharisticus from the heavens. And as if that were not enough, once the last note has faded, the tower erupts again, this time with the ringing of the bells. Eventually, crowds disperse and continue their merry making as they walk the streets of Oxford. Morris Dancers, bell pads strapped to their shins, dance in unison, multicolored ribbons undulating from their arms. Spring has finally arrived! It’s May Morning 1989 - I don’t know how thirty years have passed since I was hoisted into the air by the Morris Dancers, but I remember May Morning as if it were yesterday. Have you ever celebrated May Morning in Oxford?
Photos by Sabrina Apitz-Grossman &Yi Fong Mah
SUMMER EVENT
HMC
Top: Lingxi Tang, Marcus Tan, Sylvester Siew & guests. Bottom: Timothy Foot.
Wind in the Willows
Harris Manchester College turned into an Edwardian Village Fête and Fairground for one night only.
BY JOSHUA RIDDICK
Top: Vanessa Wei. Bottom: Tamsin Thackery & Xanthippi Vassiliou..
Top: Caitlin Coulson & Mark Felix. Bottom: Joshua Riddick..
Harris Manchester opened its doors to the Edwardian era on the Friday of second week with a Wind-in-the-Willows-themed summer event! There were fairground stalls, swing rides, deck chairs – even a photo booth, one of the most famous of all Edwardian inventions. But the highlight of the evening, occurring just before a picnic-style dinner, was undoubtedly the Charity Auction. Chelsea put an awful lot of hard work into this for a very good cause – the Gorongosa Cyclone Relief Fund – and it was made even better by the sheer hilarity and handsomeness of the auctioneer. A huge thanks needs to go to Chris Wheeler for his effectively single-handed organisation of the event. Everyone who attended seemed to have a fantastic evening, and it's all due to him.
by Bianca Rasmussen & Scott Fitzgerald Buchanan
Summer Event Committee President, Christopher Wheeler.
BONNIE&CLYDE
"Masterful. A tear-jerker."
Bonnie and Clyde was put on by Pembroke College in 2nd week of Trinity Term 2019. Eric Tong of HMC had to play a mean and ruthless sheriff, and he did a pretty good job even though he's such a sweetheart irl, Scott Fitzgerald Buchanan reports. The American accents were decent, but Eric did not do any singing, which is a crime. Furthermore, Eric was shot to death twice - He played two characters, both of whom got shot to death. Eric himself says that the experience was very fun, and he appreciates all the college people who came down to see him perform. "It was masterful. A tear-jerker.”" - Scott Fitzgerald Buchanan. Verdict: 6 out of 5 sheriff stars.
by Rosie Johnson
"We learned an amazing technique to push aggressors away, and now I feel like a total bad-ass."
HMC Women
On Wednesday 22nd May, Rising Spirit Academy came to Harris Manchester to give a self-defence class for women. Chris and Emma, the leaders of the class, taught us how to defend ourselves in a variety of situations. From being grabbed around the wrists to being strangled, we were taught how to escape from the clutches of an angry aggressor! Natasha and I were partners and it’s safe to say that I wouldn’t like to meet her in a dark alley with these new skills under her belt! (Not sure she would say the same about my abysmal moves!) Chris was very keen to teach us as much as possible in a short time and within seconds we were practising pushes and grabs on each other! One particular move, the double tap, had us flying all over the room! Hayley thought this move was especially great - “We learned an amazing technique to push aggressors away, based on Bruce Lee's one inch punch, and now I feel like a total bad-ass." Most of us were newcomers to self-defence. I have very much enjoyed trying out and teaching the moves to friends and parents! Anna said: “Self-defence was a great way to learn some new (and useful!) skills for general defence and a super fun activity to have a go at for the first time!” It would be great to get Chris back to teach us some more - so watch this space!
Self-defence Class for
"Dogs are just too mainstream." - Ádám Fehérvári
While running for the position back in Michaelmas 2018, the JCR Social Secretaries, Junwei Goh and Hayley Webster, promised to bring alpacas to HMC. As of Trinity Term 2019, they have delivered on said promise - week 6 saw a small but headstrong herd of alpacas take over the quads of college. “"We thought it would be nice to bring the alpacas here because it was a relaxing welfare event."”, Hayley says. “"Cute animals make everyone feel better!”" The three alpacas stayed in college for a few hours and were heavily photographed. They clearly also knew what they wanted, and students willingly took them on a tour of the college grounds. It seems the water fountain in front of our principal’s lodge was a bit too scary, but the grass appeared to be satisfactory.
A L P A C A
by Bianca Rasmussen photos by Thomas Hanton & Marcus Tan
Left: Ádám Fehérvári. Bottom left: Anna Donaghy Below: Pekka Vuorenlehto. Bottom right: Drake Lawhead.
M A N I A
with Homerton College, Cambridge
by Bianca Rasmussen photos by Melanie Keene, Homerton graduate tutor
GRADUATE RESEARCH DAY
The fourth annual Graduate Research Day with our sister College Homerton, Cambridge, took place in week 5. Twelve speakers from the two colleges presented their research, and the day was concluded with a special dinner. The speakers from HMC were Cristian Soitu (DPhil Engineering), Bianca Kremer (DPhil Law), Bradley Hopper (MSt Classical Archaeology), Professor Jane Shaw (Principal), Petra Hanáčková (MSt World Literatures in English), Ian Baxter (PGDip Theology), and Darina Izhboldina (MSc Child Development and Education). The panels were hosted by Elliot Costello, Stewart Murphy, and Sarah Thomas.
The rare sighting of Simpkins was a highlight of the evening.
Pusheen in front of her new home.
by Bianca Rasmussen photos Courtesy of Sarah Thomas.
Hertford College Exchange Dinner
The Social Secretaries of the MCR arranged a dinner exchange for HMC students, this time to the beautiful Hertford college. Pre-drinks were held in an octagonal tower with “cool windows” - the Hertford MCR - and the food was very colorful, though also quite carrot-y. “ "They put on a dinner especially for us, and were super welcoming - including taking us on a tour of Hertford with a crossing of the Bridge of Sighs."”, says Sarah Thomas. According to my sources, a rare sighting of the college cat, Simpkins, was also a highlight of the evening. After dinner the HMC guests were treated to drinks at the MCR bar. A few of the Hertford MCR even enjoyed HMC company so much that they have been coming to our Wine Soc nights!
The theme for the second photography competition at HMC was "Nature". Petra Hanáčková (below) won first place with her photo of a family of geese. Congratulations to our honorable mentions, Lingxi Tang (top right) and Drak Lawhead (bottom right). Thank you to Yi Fong Mah for organizing the competition. We look forward to the next round in Michaelmas 2019!
Yellowstone Park by Drake Lawhead
HMC PHOTO COMPETITION
Mountain Peak by Lingxi Tang
Winners Hilary term 2019
TRINITY 2019
Week 1-4 Trinity
Modern Pentathlon Varsity
Week 12 Hilary
Archery Varsity
Sports
week 3
Cuppers & Varsity
The team comprised of Franz Kohwagner, Cristian Soitu, Frederick Barker, Jakob Vikner, Naresh Manoj, Pekka Vuorenlehto, Manoj Kumar Thiyagarajan and Marcus Tan. They finished 2nd in the group stage, were unbeaten and had 8 points, but unfortunately, lost to St Cross/Wolfson in the round of 32, to a last minute goal in an excruciating loss. Still a big achievement considering it was an HMC only team, and there were 80 teams in the competition.
by Marcus Tan
Pekka Vuorenlehto represented Oxford and won the men’s novice trophy, coming second in Oxford. It was a two-day competition, and Pekka had been training for half a year, of which the last four weeks were spent training with the Finnish National Team. “"It was good fun."” - Pekka.
This term was Cuppers Term, and HMC did extraordinarily well – it was almost as if we had the Midas touch, for almost every cuppers competition we participated in yielded gold medals! There hasn’t been as much sunshine as we’d hoped for and so there hasn’t been as much sport as we’d have liked, but there still is nothing better than a good jog or gym session to get the stress out of the system!
Thank you to the athletes for their individual photos .
Chi Che represented Oxford in the 70th Annual Varsity Match, and emerged victorious with her Novice team, beating Cambridge by more than 150 points.
Futsal Cuppers
Floorball Cuppers
HMC took home both medals from for the Female Beginner’s Category. Natasha Salonen came in as 2nd in the Female Beginner’s Category and Darina Izhboldina came in as Champion in Female Beginner’s Category!
Archery Cuppers
Korfball cuppers
Week 3
Harris Manchester are the proud victors of 2019 Korfball Cuppers! On Sunday morning, while most students were sipping their lattes and tucking into brunch, Rosie Johnson, Niall Sheeky and I (Elliot Costello), braved the alarm clock to compete in the Korfball Cuppers. You may ask, ‘What is Korfball?' Well, it’s a question Rosie and I were asking on Sunday morning. However, we were quick to learn from Niall (the Oxford Blues Coach!). It’s a strange ol' Dutch game that has fused netball and basketball into a competitive co-gender sport. And, surprisingly, it’s great fun! We played five separate matches. We won four and drew one. After finishing equal top with Exeter, the stakes were high for the two undefeated teams! And we didn’t disappoint. Niall’s Dutch (sorry, I mean Irish) sportsmanship was heroic as he calmly scored with ease. Rosie's natural netball talent dominated over her shorter Exeter opponents. Our top-up St Cross player played with the passion of an HMC'er. And I deployed all of my dirty Australian Rules tactics to bump, bruise and belittle the poor, young Exeter undergrads.. We were victorious! Final score 11-4. To celebrate the victory, we have been promised a ticket-tape parade around Oxford. This is a bigger victory than Leicester City in 2016! Tiger Woods emailed Niall yesterday to congratulate him, remarking “I thought my Masters victory was impressive, but you have upstaged me. Well done.” The Cup will be sitting on Niall’s desk with the engraving “"It's come home!".” FYI, we'll have a premiership hangover for weeks to follow!
by Elliot Costello
Team comprised of Andreas Zampouridis, Pekka Vuorenlehto, Manoj Kumar Thiyagarajan, Lingxi Tang, Sylvester Siew and Alethea Liau (Corpus Christi). They beat Keble 4-2 in the final to be floorball cuppers champions.
week 5
week 6
Water Polo Cuppers
Ultimate Frisbee
weekly
Pekka Vuorenlehto and Lingxi Tang participated. They came in overall Champions in Wadham-HMC team, bringing home the duck trophy.
Champions League Final Screening, in which Liverpool came out Champions League Final champions in front of an audience of 25 people in Quiet Room (and many more around the world).
Ultimate Frisbee Games at UniParks.
HMC events
week 6-8
Summer Viii's
McMullin Cup
week 6-7
Champions League Final Screening
o Drake Lawhead rowed in the Wadham Men’s I boat which came in 6th in Division I o Lingxi Tang rowed in the Wadham Men’s II boat which came in 8th in Division III o Pekka Vuorenlehto, Konrad von Boyneburgk, George Tresidder, Moritz Schnorpfeil, Maria Beer Vuco & Scott Fitzgerald Buchanan rowed in Wadham’s Men III boat which came in 12th in Division V.
McMullin Cup: Final scheduled for Week 8 Friday, but as of this publication most games have yet to be played due to rain and bad weather.
Weekly
24
Artist in residence
IN OTHER NEWS
Every week, footballers from HMC descend upon the hallowed grounds of the Uni Sports Club to battle it out in 5-a-sides. the players are different every week and it's been a great year of football - from thumping half-way line shots which go just about everywhere besides into the goal, to teammates tripping each other up and getting cuts on their knees. It's been fantastic getting to know each other better through football while keeping active and healthy, and I hope I speak for everyone in saying that these 5-a-sides were always the highlight of my week!
OXCAR is an acapella group which specializes in singing Mandarin pop songs. Unfortunately, nobody knows what OXCAR stands for as an acronym, and the group is still trying to figure it out. According to Marcus Tan, the HMC acapella singer in the group, his favourite part of the evening was seeing all his college friends come and hear him perform. “I was very touched by the support, especially because I was in a rather raw emotional state at the time, and it really reminded me how nice the HMC community is.” Marcus says. Marcus sang several duets and some solo parts as well. Although this was not exactly an HMC event, about half the audience was from our college.
GAMES PLAYED IN 2018/2019
Acapella Concert
Five-A-Side
This term we had the pleasure of having Joseph Kingdom as arist in residence at HMC. Joseph put on several workshops teaching students how to throw their own pots. The pottery was intended to help reduce stress levels through a creative outlet. Pictured to the left is Manoj Kumar Thiyagarajan proudly displaying his hard work. After finishing his residency at HMC, Joseph will be flying to Palestine to help work with the Palestinian community.
photos by Ser Jay Tan
Haircut
B. M. Rasmussen, 16.04.19 In Memoriam
I got a haircut yesterday and bought your favourite chocolate I ate it all in the time it takes to walk from High Street to Turl Last time, I was done with him, so we both went together, I told you, fresh start we drank coffee and sat in the sun This time, my favourite season is burning me alive and I’m drowning in sweat and memories I told them, cut it all off, change it Lightness looks different than I thought because it’s so similar, normal except you would have given me the chocolate chatting cross-legged in my armchair I know what to do; we always did a haircut can only change so much were we girls together or already women? children fighting our own battles Tomorrow, it will be two weeks since light leaving Holywell, I continue walking can I be your friend if you’re gone who could fill our spot in the sun
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Editor:
CONTACT
Credits and thank yous. Cover photo: Johan Sjöberg. Thank you to Irene Polieri. Index: Bianca Rasmussen. Thank you to Jakob Vikner. Editor's note photo: Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash. Valedictory photo: Rosie Johnson. May Morning photos: Chelsea Hill & Joshua Riddick. Big thank you to Karen Bento. Summer event photos: Sabrina Apitz-Grossman & Yi Fong Mah. Review photo: Courtesy of Eric Tong. Women's photo: Courtesy of Rosie Johnson. Alpaca photos: Courtesy of Marcus Tan & Thomas Hanton. Graduate photos: Courtesy of Melanie Keene. Hertford photos: Sarah Thomas. Oxcar & Pottery: Courtesy of Marcus Tan, Bianca Rasmussen & Manoj Kumar Thiyagarajan. Competition photos: Courtesy of Petra Hanáčková, Lingxi Tang & Drake Lawhead. Thank you to Yi Fong Mah. Sports photos: Courtesy of Ser Jay Tan, Chi Che, Pekka Vuorenlehto, Alethea Liau, Drake Lawhead, Elliot Costello, Sylvester Siew, and Marcus Tan. Sunset photo: Jestoni Dadis on Unsplash. Other photos, texts, and illustrations: Bianca Rasmussen.
