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COLLEGE LIFEDeanthings. Students do come to us (as do tutors, worriedabout their students) and are mostly satisfied, sometimeseven grateful, as the cards we get from them show. Weare contacted by students of all types, and by this I meanmany who do not have the profile that most associate withpeople in need of peer support. We are here to listen tothem. We are always around and always willing to forgetthat party in which that same person was being a bitunreasonable (thus showing our ‘splendid countenance’).All this must be done in the best team spirit and under thesupervision of the Dean: firstly, in my case, Henry Bennet-Clark and now Marc Mulholland. In eight terms, I haveworked with the extraordinarily energetic Sallie Burrough(who could both climb mountains and shut down partiesusing only her left hand) and the tranquil Dan Stokeley(who discreetly carried out our ‘fearsome’ duty while nevereven altering his ‘countenance’). Justin Moore, Ali Walkerand Kaitlin Walsh, with whom I worked for two terms, areas different (and complementary) amongst themselves asone can imagine and that is, I believe, what has made thegroup so effective. Justin’s coolness and resilience, Ali’sdetermination and attention to detail and Kaitlin’s abilityto handle information, together with her knowledge of JCRand MCR politics, have made them a great group. A medicwho runs marathons, an engineer who plays rugby anda Hispanist with an unbelievable knowledge of pinkgadgets, respectively, they also like and do normal things.The ingredient I represent (a case of multiple personalities,given that I wear a graduate hat, a JD hat and a CollegeLecturer hat) has been a combination of experience and awillingness to learn new things. Sharing that experiencewith them over the last two terms has been one of themost enjoyable things I have ever done. We have disagreedand argued, but in the end always speak with one voice(as this article, written by myself, but edited by the threeof them, shows).In all, I cannot think of any better way to have spent mygraduate years at St Catherine’s. The Junior Deans haveprivileged access to the three Common Rooms and theCollege offices, see their joys and miseries, their tensionsand happy moments and can learn an awful lot in theprocess – especially about themselves.From left to right,Justin Moore, AlistairWalker, Kaitlin Walshand Enrique SacauIn all, I cannotthink of anybetter wayto have spentmy graduateyears ...ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE 2008/7