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MESSAGES
welcome Dr Matthew Parrott, from the University of
Puget Sound, to a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Philosophy
of Psychiatry, and Dr Andrew Eisenberg to a Junior
Research Fellowship in Music.
Our fiftieth year has been one of celebration with
our alumni across the globe. We have had reunions
in America, the Far East, and in Denmark (or at
least in the bit of Denmark in London!). Our Danish
connection is stronger than ever and, in addition to
hosting our London Party in the Danish Embassy, the
Danish Ambassador opened an exhibition celebrating
St Catherine’s architecture and design in Ove Arup’s
offices in London, as part of the London Festival of
Architecture.
The Out of Architecture exhibition moved to the
College Library in September, as part of a weekend of
50th anniversary celebrations. Almost 500 alumni and
friends crossed our threshold and were reminded, in
no uncertain terms, of the vitality and strengths of
the College. We were delighted that Tobias Jacobsen,
Arne’s grandson, was among them. We were delighted
by a veritable avalanche of rapturous correspondence
after the weekend, and also as a result of the launch
of our book. The downside of this huge success is that
expectations are so high that people now expect this
level of partying every year!
I hope that this brief report has demonstrated that the
College maintains a vibrancy that Kitchen and Bullock
would be proud of. We can relish with confidence the
challenges that the next fifty years will doubtlessly
bring, and we can take comfort from the achievements
to date – most importantly in what our students have
made of their time here.
In conclusion, I quote from three voices of the new
millennium, a few of the very many memoirs contributed
to our new book.
‘I remember Catz principally as a quiet place where I
could think and dwell in books and work on being the
person I wanted to be’.
‘Catz did not just let me have my cake and eat it,
it allowed me to explore who I am and made me
acknowledge that this is what I needed to do’.
‘Both my first and final year rooms had their wall of
floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the playing
field at the back. I could sit and work and watch the
rain moving across. As night darkened outside I would
see my own reflection in the glass resolving, getting
brighter and clearer, like a developing photograph’.
There is no doubt in my mind that we can – and should
– be proud of all that has been achieved in these first
fifty years. Together, we will ensure that the outwardlooking,
creative and open nature of our community
guides our path through the challenges of the next
fifty years, towards the intellectual fulfilment that is the
ultimate goal for us all. n
Together, we
will ensure that
the outwardlooking,
creative and
open nature of
our community
guides us
towards the
intellectual
fulfilment that
is the ultimate
goal for us all
ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE 2012/5