Easter 2013
We are your new Griffin editors. Having decided to run in the JCR elections after one too many cocktails, we’re very glad that being editors is as much fun as we thought it would be. Shannon got to pretend she was the bossy businesswoman she has always wanted to be, while Kate spent many a happy hour on layouts, pretending she’d gone to art school after all. Lili Thomas, our sub-editor, joined us in traipsing around college with arms full of dresses (Fashion, p.8), and we all marvelled at the lengths to which this year’s college proposals have stretched (College Marriage, p.14). It has been a learning curve, and we are proud of what we have produced. By the time you are reading this, Downing May Ball 2013 will be over and Barry Everitt, College Master since 2003, will be coming to the end of his final term at Downing (End of an Era, p.2). Times are a-changing, and as summer creeps in and the memory of the library grows distant, we hope that you enjoy the contributions of Downing’s student body. The Griffin wouldn’t exist without the creativity and enthusiasm of its contributors, so thank you for making our job so much fun. Have a brilliant summer,
Shannon Keegan
photographs: Tom Bateman
Kate Edwards
CONTENTS
EASTER 2013
THE END OF AN ERA 2 Lydia Donaldson interviews Barry Everitt in his final term as Master of Downing College
LIFE AFTER EXAMS
Bridey Addison-Child considers the all-important question: How do you get your life back after exams?
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HAVING A BALL 6 Georgina Phillips meets Cameron Smith: the May Ball President who doesn’t really like May Balls
THE SURVIVORS
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Fashion to last you ‘til 6am. Maybe. Photography by Nicholas Schulman,
READER, I MARRIED HIM
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Lili Thomas explores the weird and wonderful (and competitive!) world of college proposals
A YEAR ABROAD 16 Where will the second year MML-ers find themselves next year?
TRAVEL TIPS 18 Jack Scott uses his experiences to give his top travel tips
THE BURNING HOUSE 20 What are your most treasured possessions? Ashley George and Natasha Brown consider what they couldn’t do without.
CHOIR 22 Cara Ellison reflects on her time with Downing College Choir.
SPORT 23
Editors Shannon Keegan & Kate Edwards Sub-Editor Lili Thomas Template Tristan Dunn & Louise Benson
Front Cover Tom Bateman • Back Cover Annabel Crowther Logo Kate Edwards
The End of an Era by Lydia Donaldson
Every student who has been at Downing since 2003 has had their time here, in part, characterised by our Master, Professor Barry Everitt. Barry became a Fellow of the College in 1976, Director of Studies for Medicine in 1979, and was elected as Master in 2003. His retirement in September 2013 will mark a huge moment of change for Downing. Barry has always been a friendly and approachable presence around the college. In his early years as a Fellow Barry could be found rowing in the third boat and regularly playing squash with students. Today he can be spotted in those distinctive orange waterproof trousers on the river bank supporting DCBC, and declaring at the end of many dinners, ‘the Bar is open.’ I met with Barry over a glass of wine to chat about his time here, reminisce about some memorable moments on the job, and find out about what is next for our Master. 2
Lydia: What have been the biggest changes you have witnessed to the College during your time as a Fellow here? Barry: I took part in the vote that resulted in the admission of women to the college in 1980, which is the most major change since its foundation. Fees have also undergone a huge change in the past 35 years. The
Barry as we know him
inevitability of substantial debt is something students today are facing whereas, during the 1970s, people could live off the grants they received. Lydia: What has been the best bit about being Master? Barry: The students, getting to know them and making sure they make the most of their time here. It has also been fantastic to work with such a cohesive and supportive fellowship. Lydia: Who have you been really pleased to meet as a result of being Master? Barry: Our many alumni, but perhaps especially Quentin Blake and Trevor Nunn. It has been a
delight to get to know them and to have them to stay in the Lodge. Lydia: If you could be the Master of any other college in Cambridge, which one would it be? Barry: NONE. I had never even considered putting myself forward to be Master of Downing, and it was not until another fellow suggested that he nominate me in 2002 that I imagined myself in such a position. I would never have thought to put myself forward for the position at another College. Lydia: What words of wisdom would you pass on to Geoffrey Grimmet as he takes over as Master in October? Barry: Try to rapidly become familiar with the existing students and make sure he is accessible. Getting to know the fellowship and listening to alumni is also important. Enjoy the opportunity of being Master of a wonderful College.
the scholarships is fierce. For more information go to www. gatescambridge.org) And just in case you were all wondering... ‘when we will see Barry again’.... Barry: I intend to give the new master unfailing support but need to ensure I am not encroaching and give everyone the time and space to adjust. I will be back for the graduations, MA ceremonies, and reunion dinners though. I will miss Downing very much.
The JCR will be hosting farewell drinks for Barry from 12 - 1pm on Thursday 20th June in the Fellows’ Garden. Come along to show your appreciation and say your goodbyes!
Lydia: So what next? Barry: I will be moving into a new house in Cambridge and obviously continuing with my research. I have also had the honour of being appointed as the next Provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust, from 1st October 2013. (This trust, funded by the Gates Foundation, supports international students in postgraduate studies at Cambridge - competition for Barry back in the day
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Life After Exams by Bridey Addison-Child
So, exams are over and the summer is stretching ahead of us. How will we possibly remember how to spend our days doing absolutely nothing productive? Luckily, the Griffin has some tips at hand... 1. Trade addictions Admit to yourself that you’re caffeine dependent - throw out all the Nescafe and Pro-Plus in a suitably melodramatic, ‘I’m beating this addiction’ fashion. Promptly replace the caffeine void in your cupboard (and soul) with vodka. 4
2. Flout your freedom Take a nostalgic trip back to the library shouting ‘Dobby is free’ just for the hell of it. See how many people you can reduce to tears when you have a nap and watch films, whilst wearing a sign that says ‘I’ve finished and you haven’t.’ 3. Embrace TV like an old friend Escape real life and the effort of reading written words, by watching an entire series back to back, preferably in a room with no natural light, whilst eating your entire fridge. If you liked The Killing (watch it in Danish, it’s way edgier) or Homeland watch the recently aired The Fall or Broadchurch, or alternatively
Person of Interest for more CSIesque Americanisms. The Wire is also must watch. But for less gratuitous violence, and if you liked Mad Men, take a look at The Hour (slick 50s newsroom drama.) If you haven’t heard of the post-modern sensation Girls, amend this immediately. For typical BBC drama with a zombie twist, and less time-commitment, check out mini-series In The Flesh, or easy-watching BBC 3 comedy Him and Her. 4. Have an image re-haul Move away from the library-chic look by wearing something that isn’t leggings and a jumper. Now you have nothing better to do, there’s no reason you can’t get your hipster on by spending 3 hours deciding which trilby hat goes best with which pair of brogues. 5. Reclaim your body clock Revel in the glory of no longer being owned by time. Take pride in your lack of sleeping or eating pattern and the fact that your day tends to start circa 1pm. Why not spend 4 hours watching Facebook
like it’s TV, while you eat cheese on toast and stalk that weird girl from home, whose statuses (‘Tell ur stories, spread ur lies, but don’t ever say that I didn’t care’) somehow portray a profound depth you hadn’t considered until two in the morning. 6. Actually get to know Cambridge Get off the beaten track. And by the beaten track I mean your route to lectures/Sainsbury’s and/ or supervisions. Apparently the Sedgwick Museum has a dinosaur skeleton and it’s free entry. Who knew? If you wanna go all edgy and watch weird European films (as well as some other good independent stuff) then take the taxing, 20 second walk to The Arts Picturehouse. Or wander aimlessly around town getting annoyed by how small Cambridge is, just because you fucking can. 7. Romanticise Cambridge Take your gown for a quick spin past the tourists, whilst holding all your overdue library books and looking suitably intellectual and intense. Pose for a photo on a punt before offering to give tours for the low, low price of £10 a head. Job done. 8. Pimms O’Clock Get drunk at inappropriate times of the day. Nothing tests your ability to digest half-raw
sausages or go for seven hours without weeing better than a British BBQ. Alternatively, hit up The Snug or The Fountain for discounted afternoon cocktails. Aim to experience and recover from a hangover between 5pm and 8pm, then be bright and breezy to hit Spoons again by nine. 9. Misguidedly believe you’re going to turn over a new leaf Nod enthusiastically when your DoS naively suggests that you would enjoy some further reading for next year’s modules. Embrace the deluded feeling that you’re going to ‘start revision earlier next time’; this is all a crucial part of purging yourself of the exam mindset. 10. Attempt to buy back your mental health in material goods Go shopping in The Grand Arcade with the kind of reckless abandon that results in buying six large cinnabons and a football. Momentarily worry about your college bill. Forget about your college bill (it’s not real money, it’s on a card with a picture of you that doesn’t even look like you) and continue merrily into May Week, debit card in hand, to truly shatter your financial prospects.
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H aving A B all
As May Week approached, Georgina Phillips cornered our very own May Ball President, Cameron Smith, to talk Orientalism, TV chefs and narrowly avoided court cases. It was a challenge - the chance to do something with quite a large budget and have quite a big influence. I enjoy the freedom, like at the beginning we were just brainstorming and stuff like “What do we want to do with Downing?”. It’s really open.
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Has there been any conflict? You are always going to have conflict, because people want different things. College… obviously want to it to go well and have a safe ball, whilst you want to push things. But College do work with us and the staff have been very, very helpful. The
committee has also been really strong this year. When did being May Ball President start? My May Ball Presidency started in May 2011, which is a long time ago… I was shadowing the old committee in the build-up to the ball, to try and make it easier this time around.The committee properly started planning for this year’s ball in February last year. So coming up with a theme… was it always going to be Eastern Odyssey, in your mind or were there a lot of contenders? From about about 60 contenders we narrowed it down to 4: Great Gatsby, Around the World in 80 days, New York and Eastern Odyssey, which we thought was the most original and something we could do a lot with.
artwork: Tom Bateman
So why did you want to be May Ball President?
As a geographer, I’m interested to know what you would define as ‘East’? Uh, anywhere East of Hackney, and West of Cornwall? We’ve basically classified it as Far East India to Japan, and thought Rick Stein’s ‘Eastern Odyssey’ sounded right for the title. Downing has a lot of space compared to most other colleges, does this give you more freedom or prove to be a challenge? A challenge. In most colleges, you stick in a marquee and that’s the quad filled, whilst here, it’s a white spot. You don’t appreciate how big a space it is. The supplier for our main marquee was like “Are you sure we are going to fit in? We don’t normally fit in any of the colleges?” And when they came to visit, they were like, “We could fit a whole festival in here!” Most stressful moment? It was definitely when someone threatened to sue us regarding a contract issue by one of the main bands. I just got a text saying ‘WE ARE BEING SUED’ – it’s not really what you want to see. We had to seek some legal
advice and got very good assistance from college and we managed to get through that! Overall it’s just been difficult to manage my time around the Ball and other commitments - and my degree, of course. And the most fun? The launch sequence was great, and I enjoyed the initial brainstorming of ideas. Although I’m an engineer, so my imagination is kind of more practical. Are you confident that when people are reading this interview, that they will still be reeling from the excitement that was Downing May Ball? Yes...I hope!
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The Survivors
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Photography Nicholas Schulman Models Maddie Whelan & Alex Sharpe Styling Kristina Bugeja
Photographer Nicholas Schulman / Styling Shannon Keegan & Kate Edwards
Models Hannah Williamson, Freya Petty, Thomas Nickols & Alex Matthews
Reader, I Married Him by Lili Thomas
Ever tried explaining college marriages to a home friend? They accept it, even approve of it. Then you attempt explaining college proposals and their expression takes a downward turn, like a Porter’s face when you’re spotted sending a sneaky pigeon hole text. Downing College proposals are especially renowned and this year, for the first time, the competition was made official. The elite judging panel was made up of Downing’s Geordie representatives (and last year’s Fresher Reps), Fran Thornton and Celia Harrison, Big Dave the Porter (how can one head hold that many names?) and Barry himself.
Two winners were announced...
Ben Brodie, to Hannah Williamson
Ben Brodie’s proposal was chosen for sheer commitment’s sake – on both parts. Hannah embarked on a treasure hunt to last her days. It took her from the UL to Wittgenstein’s grave, from the Plodge to the Bar on a quest to find the next clue, scouting out decoders of both Persian and the language of Logic (which looks a bit like this if you were wondering - ‘If Ω ⊢ C then Ω ⊢ ::C’). The props ranged from bananas to dragons. Rumours have it Dan Brown has found inspiration for his next novel.
Amy Provan, to Alex Sharpe
Amy Provan’s proposal to Alex saw the only female proposal this year. Yet in Amy’s eyes, Alex deserved more than a chance to put his feet up. It began with a few choristers humming along next to Alex in a charming yet creepy manner, it ended with a flashmob to rival T-Mobile. A combination of Bruno Mars and Beyonce screamed out as only ‘Crazy in Love’ can be screamed out won Alex’s heart. At the centre of it all - Amy. Who then turned and dispersed the group, leaving Alex in the middle of Downing College, standing proud as an engaged Mathmo.
The College Proposal For You Always wondered what your college proposal said about you? Complete our handy quiz and find out!
1) What makes the perfect date? a) A riverside walk where you happen to discover a hidden forest of bluebells and a perfectly placed tree swing b) You use a gift voucher your aunt gave you entitling you to a free sky dive over Swindon…Way to make a girl scream on the first date. c) You’re drunk.
2) What would you like your other half to wear to a party? a) The boy – black tie is a winner. The girl – the red dress you gave her last Christmas b) Fancy dress. Any superhero outfit will do just fine c) It doesn’t matter. You’re drunk.
3) How do most of your dates end? a) Snuggling up to Love Actually with a hot chocolate and a blanket b) A mystery taxi arrives. You get in. It drops you off at a field 1 mile OUTSIDE of Cambridge. c) You’re not really sure. Too drunk.
4) It’s your other half’s birthday – what do you get for them? a) Write to their favourite poet and get help to create a personalised masterpiece of a birthday poem. b) A harness and a rope. If they don’t use it, you will. c) A half-finished bottle of Chardonnay. You got thirsty on the way to theirs.
If you answered...
Mainly a) The Sopperstar Darryl’s proposal to Seren is for you.
With the Facebook evidence raking in 157 likes and counting it seems that Darryl’s soppy serendade is a likely choice. After singing the ever tasteful ‘I’m yours by Jason Mraz he announced he had bought his soon-to-be fiancée a star - yes, a real life ball of fire - he either knows Seren or Welsh extremely well.
Mainly b) The Daredevil Hamish’s proposal to Charlotte is for you.
Put aside the heart shaped picnic you can see in the snow for a moment and watch as Hamish leaps into the Cam, swims across and emerges from the water with ‘Will You Marry Me’ tattooed (perhaps permanently?) onto his torso. Charlotte may not have leaped into the water in a Dirty Dancing-esque re-enactment (who even has that core strength?), but she said yes and that’s all the daredevil is after.
Mainly c) The Lad Callum’s proposal to Ting Ting is for you
‘It was after a swap I was on’ Callum tells me. What eloquence, extravagance, execution. He stumbled back to Kenny, slipped casually into his black tie, found a dusty haribo ring in the corner of his room and tripped onto one knee on Kenny lawn, slurring out his proposal. She said no. Multiple times.
Laura-Jane Taylor, French and Spanish
- Paris, France I’ve accepted a HR internship at HEC (internaional business and management school). It’s mostly international students so will be a diverse environment. I also intend to take advantage of its sporting opportunities.
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Ellie Jeffrey, French and Spanish - Santiago, Chile Next year I’m off to the capital of Chile, where I’ll be teaching English and stuying Chilean literature and history with a bit of translation. Just slightly scared and going to miss everyone, but overall very excited about South America!
Bea Downing, Spanish and Italian - Seville, Spain Studying Theology at the university in Seville for a term, and then considering going on to Italy.
Ruth Wood, French and German - Vienna, Austria For my year abroad I’ll be heading into deepest Vienna to study German Philology. I’ll also complete a medieval French dissertation while I’m out there (because Cambridge never lets you go). As an avid boatie, I’m planning to continue coxing auf Deutsch swapping the Cam for the mighty Danube; so far I know that ‘stroke’ is ‘Schlag’, which amuses me probably more than it should. I’ll also come back with the German equivalent of a farmer’s accent.
artwork: Kate Edwards
Kristina Bugeja, French and Italian - Paris, France With a choice of destinations as exotic as Martinique, Quebec, Mauritius and Timbuktu, I went for... Paris. It’s hardly the spirit of reckless abandon the Year Abroad is known for, but I’m still in thrall to every 13 year-old’s idea of the City of Light, and couldn’t resist the opportunity of studying literature at ENS Paris, wandering around the Left Bank quoting Camus in an ostentatious attempt to ‘find myself ’, while subsisting on a diet of croissants and macarons. I personally cannot wait for rude service, eye-wateringly expensive rents, and weather only slightly more temperate than England.
Alex Matthews, German and Education - Vienna, Austria Following a not-quite-so-lastminute change of heart (sorry British Council), I have accepted an offer to work at the Wiener Kindertheatre (the Vienna Children’s Theatre). I’ll spend my year running drama workshops and productions, and soaking up as much German as possible with Ruth in Vienna’s famous bars and coffeehouses. A very welcome break from my own instant coffee and frantic studies here!
Catriona Casha, Spanish and Arabic - Cairo, Egypt I’m hopefully going to be working as an English teacher in a small school, while also getting private tuition there. I was there at Easter and the people are awesome. I might also take a few courses at the university, and will be helping with music programs for kids in the area.
Tom Bateman, Japanese - Kyoto, Japan Next year I’ll be studying at a university in Kyoto, which is definitely a less intimidating option than living in Tokyo, the home of those guys in gloves who pack commuters into subway trains like they’re playing some kind of perverse human tetris. Kyoto, mercifully, is much smaller and less busy than Tokyo so I’ll be mainly getting around by bike. As a result, I assume that being there will be almost entirely like being in Cambridge, except with more vending machines that sell cigarettes and umbrellas.
We asked the second year crop of linguists what adventures they had planned for their years abroad. Here’s where they’ll be jetting off to...
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by Jack Scott
I may not have travelled as far as some, for as long as others, but as a wise old head amongst the college’s well travelled Geographers, here are ten easy tips to help smooth your travels abroad (or ‘Up North’) this summer.
1. Take a photo of your luggage. Then, if it gets misplaced in an airport, bus terminal or Pattaya (oops), it is much easier to overcome language barriers and show what you’re looking for. Can also be a useful way of persuading the relevant authorities that you own the bag.
2. Take a compass. All you know is the map says you need to head about 2 km ‘up’. Street-names and distinguishable buildings to navigate by can be surprisingly difficult. Using the map app on your smartphone will cost you a lot of beer money. So instead, just crack out your compass and away you go. Besides, it makes you feel like Indiana Jones.
4. Always walk to the front of a queue before standing in it. The British Empire might have spread around the world, but Britain’s orderly queues didn’t. Often those who push to the front first get served first. More importantly, it may not actually be the queue that you think it is when standing right at the back!
artwork: Kate Edwards/Tom Bateman
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3. Multi plug adapter. Saves on international plug adapters and is incredibly useful when in hotel rooms with only one wall socket!
Additionally, when the opportunity arises, try walking in through the exit. It’s amazing how many museums don’t have barriers at the exit. And once you’re in, nobody knows whether you bought a ticket or not...
5 – Toilet roll. Stock-up before you set off on your travels, then re-stock in any hotels with particularly plush offerings. Mmm, Italian double-velvet. 6 – Bartering. There are probably entire books written on this topic. The best things I’ve found to get a bargain are learning the words for “too expensive” in the local language. Always delay offering a price for as long as possible, just keep saying ‘no, too much’ and watch the asking price fall. Loads of museums, galleries and national parks around the world offer discounts to students – remember to take your student ID. Failing that, claiming to be a volunteer teaching locally may be morally questionable, but who cares if it gets you have half-price mini Taj Mahal?! 7 – Food. The worst thing you can do is skimp on food and be hungry for the trip. You’ve already paid hundreds of pounds of your student loan on transport and accommodation, spend a few more quid on breakfast, lunch, dinner and local snacks to make sure you have a full belly. It’ll give you loads more energy for exploring and enjoying yourself! You’ll look better in photos too. 8 – Camera Timestamps. Try and synchronise the date and time of all the cameras you and your friends take. This makes amalgamating photos at the end of the trip into the correct order a lot easier! 9 – Be very careful about putting your camera’s memory card into public computers. Tempting as it might be to stuff your friends’ Facebook feeds with minute by minute pictures of your amazing trip, public computers in youth hostels and Internet cafes are often riddled with diseases and might wipe all the pictures from your camera. 10 – If you see something you want to buy, or an experience you want to do, go for it! There are plenty of years to pay off the overdraft, but you never know when you’ll get this specific opportunity again.
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The Burning House
What would you save from a burning building?
Inspired by the website, ‘The Burning House’, we asked Ashley George and Natasha Brown just this question. Here’s what they said...
Ashley George, 3rd year Materials Science
Briefcase. This contains a lot of
paper. I could tell a lot of stories about it, and the paper comes from various places and different people and has lots of different things written, drawn, painted, and printed on it. Bracelets. Each connects me to a different friend. One is made from elephant tail hair and was given to me by a friend’s grandpa after Thanksgiving in Idaho. Another is from Greece, and was a thank you gift. The string one was sent all the way from LA, along with reminders of a road trip to Vegas. Wallet. It was a gift from my mum for my 18th (read: not for Cindies) Watch. Another gift from my mum, for my 21st. I feel real classy winding this up before I go out. External hard-drive. Contains
every photo I’ve taken since I was 16, all my essays, projects I’ve slaved over, and notes I’ve taken since 6th Form. Beaten-up passport. This is only four years old, but it’s travelled tens of thousands of miles. It’s a permanent fixture in my pocket for ID too. Pile of photos. Sent by someone special in the US. I strung them together and attached stickers and ribbons to the string (from gifts, parcels, and letters sent from that certain someone) and hung it in my room as a reminder. Journal. I don’t use this often and, when I do, I use it in stints. Rather than recording events, I use it to form some sort of consistent world-view, or justify some moral value to myself. Just to make sure I’m not crazy.
Passport. Though I managed to get
into the UK without a passport once (long story), I don’t think that could happen a second time. It means I could get back to my home in Hong Kong even if the UK one has been burnt down. Phone. This phone is special - the home button may be quite spastic at times but my life would be that much less organized without the help of iCal , iMail and everything in between. Good Wife Guide. This may seem an odd thing to bring if my house is burning down but this guide gives solid advice about how to be a good wife - advice that (hopefully) will come in handy at some point in the future. Watch. This is my very first proper watch (i.e. something that is not
from Swatch) and was given to me by my mother after I graduated from secondary school last year. Ring. This ring is the only ring that I actually wear on a regular basis. Given to me by a very special person, this ring is something I would never leave behind. Personalised pen. My uncle bought this pen for me and thought it would be quite cool to put my name on it to before I took my first GCSE exam. He firmly believed that the key to success is a good pen (he lied). Picture. My youngest sister hand drew this portrait of us two before I left Hong Kong for university last October. Though she purposefully made my face look a bit distorted, seeing this portrait reminds me of family, which definitely keeps me going through the year.
Natasha Brown, 1st year Law
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In addition to the Choir’s activities on home turf, over the last three years we have enjoyed singing a series of services at Canterbury Cathedral, an Evensong in Ely Cathedral and a successful tour of Amsterdam, Delft, The Hague and Brussels. These were all incredible experiences with, of course, plenty of time to frequent local inns… As this goes to press, the Choir will be rehearsing for our final Evensong of the Academic year, and my final service as Senior Organ Scholar directing and conducting DCCC. I would like to thank those of you who have ever come to Evensongs, Complines, Recitals, and Advent Services over the years – we have appreciated your support very much. Thanks to our Chaplain, Revd Dr Keith Eyeons, for his guidance. And last, but by no means least, my utmost thanks to those of you in the Choir (past and present) for being quite the most talented, enthusiastic and dedicated group of singers an Organ Scholar could ever hope to find – I look forward to hearing of your continued success!
photograph: Jet Photographic
It’s 5.59pm on a Sunday. Whilst some students begin the impossible task of choosing from a delicious slops menu, a group of 18 choristers wait eagerly in the Chapel vestry running through the evening’s music and discussing the events of the week. The Church across the paddock strikes 6.00pm. It’s time! In a formation that would make the Red Arrows jealous, we process into the Chapel. The next hour is filled with heavenly harmonies, soaring high into the Chapel rafters (and into K and L, I believe…) The Choir year got off to a flying start, with a large intake of freshers and people from outside Downing to add to the returning members. The new recruits quickly immersed themselves in choral life and the choir has continued to flourish. From our regular services in the College Chapel (with the Advent and Commemoration services being particular highlights), being requested to sing at Fellows’ Birthday Parties and services outside of College, providing the Grace on many occasions, and barbershop singing – you can be sure that the weeks have been filled with plenty of music!
artwork: Shannon Keegan/photograph: Pete Twitchett
For a college rower,
Easter term cannot come soon enough with an end to cold early mornings, and traffic on the river. Many colleges also welcome back their University rowers, making college rowing a much more competitive scene. For Downing, with no trialists returning, this term was always going to be challenging. However, the momentum of a very successful Lent term kick-started our training, and we leapt back into action with our first race of term - Head of the Cam. This 2.6km time trial was a particularly special occasion for DCBC as it coincided with our Segreants Day, resulting in a number of crews composed of past rowers. W1 won their division, and M1 placed third. Our Segreant crews also did well, with one crew winning their division. Moving into May the priority was to settle crews, to give us maximum training time prior to May Bumps. One highlight for the Club was the Head-to-Head and City Sprints racing weekend. This was particularly successful for DCBC with W1 sweeping
the board, and M1 also winning pots! Following this the Club went to Bedford Regatta. This knockout competition is a regular event for Downing crews each year, and is a great chance to race offCam. Although the results were a little disappointing this year, both crews gained important experience in racing under pressure, particularly W1 who had 3 novices as part of the crew. The squads returned to Cambridge to race in Champs Head the following day. Both W1 and M1 placed 2nd in their divisions. The 2nd boats also put down strong times, indicating good squad depth this term. As I write this, final preparations are being made for May Bumps. Although pre-race nerves are creeping in, all crews are confident and ready for a successful campaign. W1 look to defend their Headship for the third year running, and M1 aim to bump Caius for their Headship. Either way we hope to have something to celebrate come Saturday and hopefully Downing students will again be treated with the sight of a burning boat in college.
by Zara Goozee, DCBC Captain of Boats
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the quarterfinal stage, after a long wait for the opposition and untimely rain intervention, the team was subjected to an unfortunate coin toss and the spirited campaign came to an abrupt halt. Despite the disappointing premature stop to the tournament, there is much for the team to build on and with majority of the team playing again next year, the Downing
by Keonwoo Yi, Captain of Downing Tennis
artwork: Shannon Keegan
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The Downing Men’s first team started off the Cuppers title defence in the typical dominant fashion having been boosted by immensely talented fresh intake from the first and second years. The team swiftly reached the quarter-finals only dropping one point to get there. However at
Men’s team will again be a strong contender for the Cuppers title. Members of the Mens’ second team are currently in the semi-
finals of the consolation cuppers, and the Women’s First team are also in cuppers semi-finals and looking to do well.
In Ultimate Frisbee, DCU have put out a solid performance this term and we’ve continued to affirm our status as one of the top teams in the league with two more matches to go. Combining the usual two teams into one this term as a result of exams, we’ve been faced with equally strong sides from other colleges, resulting in some great matches. A highlight of the term was perhaps a close match against
Churchill Chillies, in which DCU was able to pull out a 10-8 victory, coping very well with the rough winds on the day. Both freshers and experienced players have really shown just how much they have developed over the year, and it looks like we’ll have strong teams going into Cuppers at the end of the term. Overall, then, a pretty good term!
by James Kenny, Captain of Downing Ultimate Frisbee
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Easter 2013
Kate Edwards • Shannon Keegan