Some Useful Contacts at Wadham

Wadham College
Freshers’ Guide 2014
Table of Contents
Welcome
3
Freshers’ Committee
4
Wadham Student Union & the SU Committee
5
Welfare at Wadham
6
Peer supporters
7
Accommodation & Food
8
Academic Life
9
Other SU Officers
10
Entertainment
12
Big Wadham Events
13
Oxford Clubs
14
Traditional Events
16
Arts (Drama and Music)
17
Sport
18
Ox Speak (glossary of Oxford slang)
19
Freshers’ Guide for Dummies
20
Map of Wadham
21
Useful Contacts
22
Checklist
24
2
Welcome to Wadham!
Hey Freshers!
Congratulations on your Oxford offer and welcome to Wadham! My
name is Connie and I'm your Freshers' President. I'm here to introduce
you to your new life at Wadham, help you settle in and make sure that
you have an amazing Freshers' Week and first year. Helping me do this
are your brilliant Freshers’ Committee (Joe, Ailbhe, Hannah and Ralph).
If you have any questions, worries, or if you just want a chat, look for
the red t-shirts that we will be wearing all week and please come and
introduce yourselves!
You've probably heard lots of people say this but I have to say it again,
Wadham really is the best college! Why? Whoever you are, you're sure
to find Wadham a friendly and exciting place to be. We may be an old
college ‘but that certainly doesn't reflect our outlook' would be a little
better. Wadham is undoubtedly the most inclusive and progressive
college, widely known for its student activism.
We've got so much planned for Freshers' Week (and I think most of us are probably even more excited than you are!). I would really encourage you to do as many things as possible, go to the Freshers'
Fair and sign up for absolutely anything that takes your interest. Make sure you try things you never
have and if you don't like it then unsubscribing is only one click! It’s a strange and mad (bring lots of
Lemsip to combat Freshers’ flu!) 7 days but whether you're looking for a chilled or lively (or a
combination of the two) Freshers' Week, we've tried our best to make sure there will be lots of
different things on. We hope that you'll love it, but it’s also important to know that everyone I've
spoken to agrees that the weeks and years following it are much more important.
Just another quick thing, don't stress too much about work! If you have any worries do contact your
college parents (letter attached), who should be able to iron out any worries. All the tutors at
Wadham are lovely and aren't expecting you to know everything already. I was excited, nervous,
worried and much more this time last year and I know everyone else had a mixture of those
emotions, so you're not alone. But I promise you it’s not as scary as it may seem.
That's it from me until Freshers' Week! Make sure you join the Facebook Group (search Wadham
Freshers 2014) so you can ask any questions, or contact me on [email protected].
I'm looking forward to meeting you all in October.
Wadham love,
Connie
xXx
3
Freshers’ Committee
Hi Freshers!
We’re the Freshers’ Committee, here to welcome you, and make sure you all hit the ground running in
your first week. 12 months ago we were all in exactly the same place you are now, excited and maybe
just a bit nervous. Rest assured that pretty much all of our worries ended up being completely
unnecessary. Freshers’ week will be packed with things to do; comedy, club nights, quizzes (all entirely
optional) as well as great opportunities to get involved in drama, music or sport. Whatever you choose to
do, by the end of the week you’ll be surrounded by friendly and familiar faces and you will feel at home
in Wadham, ready to get down to work. We remember having no idea how hard or easy the work would
be but don’t worry, if you couldn’t manage it you wouldn’t be reading this! The work can be intense and
tough but it’s always doable and when you do get stuck there’ll always be someone you can ask; whether
it’s a friend who’s already done that problem sheet or a second year who did just that essay last year. But
enough about work, you’re all about to embark on one of the best years of your life, we’ll all be there for
you; feel excited, but most importantly feel confident. You’ve got nothing to worry about and so much to
look forward to!
Joe Knight, PPE. Dungeon dweller, slerker (sly worker),
connoisseur of high quality fried chicken, key
constituent of any club’s urban floor.
Hannah Yu-Pearson, History.
Morning yoga, exceptional cook,
zen zen zen person. Ask about
taking impromptu gap years half
way around the world aged 16.
Ralph Weir, History. Avid fan
of musicals, summer Shakespeare’s and non-contact
sports. Often found bewildered in Oxford’s clubbing establishments with a tie
around his head.
(St.) Ailbhe Rea, English and French. Welfare Extraordinaire. Got a lot of sass. Feminist, leftie, softie.
4
Wadham Student Union
Hello! I’m Lucy and I’m your SU President for the year.
Wadham SU is unique in Oxford (different from the other colleges’ JCRs), and having
it means that both graduates and undergrads work together to organise events,
improve college and to represent you. The SU does all kinds of things throughout the
year to help make your time at Wadham the best it can be, from welfare brunches
(with more smoked salmon than you can imagine) to fortnightly bops, from funding
activism and student publications to the big Wadham events of Queerfest and
Wadstock.
As President, I work with you, the committee, and college on your behalf. The
committee itself is made up of a range of officers (covering all kinds of roles, from administrative to
welfare, and even the bar) who ensure that everyone’s interests are catered for; we’re all very friendly
and approachable, so if you have any questions or ideas, get in touch!
The SU meets once a fortnight to discuss the things that you want to talk about in a pizza-fuelled few
hours. Motions and discussion points can be brought really easily and can be anything from getting
money for a project to changing college policy on all kinds of issues – it’s a really easy and effective way
for your voice to be heard! Wadham SU is a welcoming and engaged community with a strong voice, so
on behalf of the committee I’d urge you to get involved.
I’m really looking forward to the year ahead and to meeting you all in Freshers’ week but if you have any
questions or want to say hi beforehand, please drop me a line at [email protected] and you
can get in the Wadham spirit early by following @WadhamSU on twitter. Can’t wait to see your fresh
faces! See you in October,
Luce
Hi, I'm Tim and I'm the SU Treasurer this year. This means I'm in charge of all of the SU’s
money; both raising and spending it. If there's anything you want to know about what's
available to you or how the SU spends its money, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, I look
forward to seeing you all in October!
Hi, I'm Alexander Walker, a third year chemist and your Vice
President. The VP's role is to administer the Student Union by
organising Council meetings, running elections and being the
go-to-person regarding the constitution. If you have any
questions about how the SU works, then feel free to contact me. I
look forward to meeting you all in Michaelmas!
Hello! I’m Joe and as Communications officer I’ll be sending you regular emails to let you
know about what is happening in college and the wider university. I’ll let you know what
you can get involved in and brighten up your inboxes on a Monday!
5
Welfare at Wadham
All of us here at Wadham want your first year at Oxford to be amazing! One of the things that
makes Wadham so great is that it’s a really friendly place to be and everyone here wants to make
you as comfortable as possible. With so much stuff packed into just eight weeks, Oxford can be a
very intense place to live and work. You will yourself find that work is - perhaps for the first time a real challenge. You might also start questioning other important parts of your life - perhaps
things to do with your family or friendships, your personality or sexuality. If you are feeling
anxious or stressed about any of these things - or about absolutely anything at all - there are
people at Wadham who you can turn to.
There is a wide network of students and tutors within college who have been trained in listening
skills are always happy to help; often, just having someone impartial to talk to can make the world
of difference. As Welfare and Equal Opportunities Officers, Ben and Ailbhe are here to represent
students with disabilities and also to support the LGBTQ, Women’s and BME/POC Officers (The
BME/POC Officer was a position introduced by a motion in our final SU meeting of the year, and
so will be elected for the first time in Michaelmas Term 2014). They are in turn supported in their
Welfare role by the two Welfare Reps, Emma Davies and Rory Hanna. They can provide advice,
information and support for all students and sympathetic ears if you need someone to talk to. If
you have any questions about anything at all, especially welfare-related things, then don’t hesitate to email them at [email protected] . Wadham also have Peer Supporters who are
Ailbhe
here to talk over any issue you may be having. Please feel free to approach Ben, Ailbhe, or any of
the college Peer Supporters for a confidential chat at any time about anything. Welfare is here for EVERYONE so don’t
think you need to have a reason to come and that is anything more than simply wanting a cup of tea and a bit of chat!
The college has an employed, trained College Welfare Advisor called Emma Lewis who is also here to help and will be
able to provide support where need be or help to point you in the right direction. Beyond college, there’s also a really
strong network of services available to provide support during your time at Oxford. The University
Counselling Service can offer students help and advice independently of the college, whilst
Nightline is run by trained student volunteers and provides a further confidential listening service.
During Freshers’ Week you’ll be able to find Ben, Ailbhe, Emma and Rory in the Snug (otherwise
known as the Welfare room) on staircase 28 every afternoon for tea and cake, so please pop
along to say hi, or just to grab some cake!
Ben
P.S. For more information on the welfare services available at Wadham and in Oxford take a look
at: http://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare
“We’re Ben and Ailbhe (pronounced Alva!), the Welfare and Equal Opportunities Officers at
Wadham, on hand for anything health and happiness related. Every week we will be sending you a
welfare email to keep you in the loop about exciting welfare things going on in college and
beyond. We put on welfare brunches (usually perfectly timed for when people are tired or
hungover after bops or general Saturday night antics) where you can find lots of pastries, fruit,
brioche and salmon and cream cheese bagels. We also run free weekly yoga sessions- the ideal
way to get fit and chill out at the same time - and we put on Zumba sessions for those wanting
something a bit more active! At exam time, we’ll shower your pidges with sweets, to give you that
all important sugar hit and pick-me-up. ‘Welfare Week’ takes place half way through each term to
cheer everyone up with things like film nights, massage workshops and yummy free food. On top
of all this, we can also discreetly deliver an impressive variety of condoms, lube or dental dams to
your pigeon hole if you email us.”
Emma
Rory
6
Peer Supporters
Welcome to Wadham! We (Ailbhe, Jenny, Rory, Alice and Jordan) are your friendly college Peer Supporters (we’ve
had 30 hours of training to earn ourselves that title) and we’ll be around college during Freshers’ Week and beyond
to chat to, ask questions of, to complain to and just generally to be there for you. Whilst Freshers’ Week can be lots
of fun, it can also be quite stressful and tiring; moving to a new place, meeting lots of new people and getting used
to Oxford can be quite a challenging experience. So we’re here to support you if you might be feeling a little down
or lost or homesick. We run weekly drop-in sessions throughout term in the Snug, which can be found in staircase
28; anyone is welcome to come along for a cup of tea and a chat so look out for emails times of these. But if you
want to talk at any other time then please feel free to drop one of us an email or to approach us in college and we’ll
be more than happy to help! Anything you say to us will be kept confidential and don’t be worried that your problem is too trivial- believe us; sometimes just talking can be really good for making you feel better. We hope you all
have a wonderful Freshers’ Week and look forward to meeting you soon!
[email protected] - Alice
Ailbhe - [email protected]
[email protected] - Rory
Jenny - [email protected]
[email protected] - Jordan
7
Accommodation & Food
Undoubtedly where you’re going to live next year is one of your top priorities; so let’s try and break things
down so it all becomes a little more straightforward.
- All Freshers get to live in college for their first year. College guarantees accommodation in college for
two years of your degree (almost always first and final year.)
- All college accommodation is maintained by a Scout (cleaner), someone whom you will learn to love
as they keep your room looking respectable.
- All college rooms are the same price (one of the lowest rents of any college.)
- Students living in college must move out at the end of every term by default, which may make you
rethink how much you want to bring. However, you can easily apply for “vacation residence” if
you wish. You can store a large box’s worth of things in college over the holidays; if you are an
international student you get 6 boxes. Housing supplies the boxes!
- There is a great variety of rooms available from 17th Century rooms in front quad to the modern
Bowra Building, opened in 1992.
- Which room you get in first year is based around the answers you give to the Room Allocation
Questionnaire. But don’t worry about your room! The freshers’ committee try their best to match
you up with the best room and location for your tastes but at the end of the day, college is not so
big for the location of your room to make a big difference and you’ll make friends no matter
where you are. If for any reason, you’re really unhappy with the room you have, you can email
[email protected] who is Wadham’s accommodation officer.
- Some rooms are “shared” but this only means a shared living space, not a shared bedroom. The
shared rooms have smaller bedrooms but a large living area which is a great place to hang out.
Breakfast and Lunch are on offer every weekday in the New Refectory. It is
all conveniently paid for on a pay-as-you-go basis using your bod card,
which can be topped up online and automatically has £100 on it included
in your battels (termly fees). The meal-booking website is easy to access
and through this you can state your dietary preferences which can be
done on a meal-to-meal basis or for the whole term’s meals. Everyone living in college is automatically booked in for dinner, so if for any reason you
won’t be able to make it or are planning on eating out, you must sign out
by 10am that morning. Brunch is also served on a saturday from
11am-1pm.
Dinner is served in two sittings. The first is served at 6:15 pm in the New
Refectory, and then the same food is served at 7:15 pm in Hall, which
provides a beautiful, classically Oxford setting without the formality of
wearing a gown. This is great if you feel like having a more leisurely
sit-down dinner with friends or if you have people up to stay. You can
choose either to dine in the New Refectory or Hall and just turn up to the one you wish to attend. Wadham boasts one of the largest halls in Oxford.
The weekends present an opportunity to roam a little further in search of food and maybe even pay a visit
to a supermarket to stock up the fridge in your room. Some staircases have small kitchens with a hob,
microwave, toaster and kettle, and there are three ovens scattered around college. Th e JCR kitchen
(located in the underground depths of the college – although it’s quite nice!) is there for everyone,
with an oven and two sets of hobs. There is also an opt-in dinner on sunday evening at 6.30.
8
Academic Life
Unfortunately the harsh reality of Oxford is that a fair amount of your time will be taken up with work for your
degree. Some of you will have work you’ve been set to do over summer and quite a few of you will probably have
reading lists. While it’s important to get on with what you have to do and to get a taste of what your degree is
going to be like, don’t worry about working your arse off; you should enjoy your last summer before Uni and no
one expects you to turn up in October already knowing everything.
On the subject of knowing everything, something that quite a lot of people find hard when they come to Oxford is
that they are used to being the best at school to getting everything right. It’s a big shock for a lot of people to come
to Oxford and just be ‘normal’, especially for perfectionists. This can make them feel like they aren’t good enough
to be here and aren’t doing very well. It is important to remember that just to be here is a massive achievement
and your tutors are here to stretch you to your full potential. This means that no matter what you do, it will always
feel like there is more that you could have done. So instead of trying to achieve impossible perfection just strive to
fulfill the potential which has been spotted in you already.
Depending on your subject, you’ll have differing amounts of contact time. Arts students tend to have less, while
science students generally have more of the dreaded 9 a.m. starts and also labs. All subjects have tutorials though,
which tend to be 1-4 students with a tutor discussing work previously set by the tutor, handed in and marked
before the tute. Tutorials are the most important part of your course. If you really have to miss a lecture it may be
possible to catch up afterwards, but College tutorials are individual appointments which you cannot skip or turn up
late to, and the same is often true of seminars and classes. Your tutors are there to help you so make the most of
the time that you spend with them because that level of contact is available at only a few universities in the
country. If you have difficulties with work then your tutor is your first point of call and most are happy to discuss
over email between tutes.
It usually helps to organise when you’re going to do work from week to week, both to make sure you get it done
and so that you spend the rest of the time going out, playing sport or seeing friends, rather than procrastinating in
your room. Make sure you get a good work-life balance: getting a First isn’t worth spending three years locked in
your room for when Wadham has so much more to offer.
“Hey! I’m Mirela and I am the SU Academic and Careers officer at Wadham.
If you have any concerns with your academic work, or run into any problems then
feel free to contact me. If you’re finding something difficult or struggling, I can
liaise with college tutors and other students on your course to come up with some
way to make life easier or give it direction!
I will also be your port of call in case you want to raise concerns or complaints
about your time here (if at all this happens).
I’m also responsible for Wadham’s relationship with the Careers service and here to
provide you with one-on-one meetings with career advisors to help you pick your
path, write your CV or look at any internship applications. I f you have any questions about careers,
internships or need any help on that front feel free to drop me an email and I can give you’re the right
information or send you to the right people! [email protected]
9
Other SU Officers
Sarah Lawrence Officer
Welcome Wadham Freshers! My name is Andre Hansford and I was the Sarah
Lawrence Representative in Student Union for the 2013-2014 academic year,
arguably the most important position in SU. While at Wadham, I studied Organic
Chemistry, Physics and Engineering. Serving as the SLC Rep in SU gave me the
opportunity to plan events that helped integrate us Americans with the Wadham
community while on our year abroad. Initiatives such as SL-Tea and Workers
Appreciation Barbeque (spearheaded by SLC students Lauren McKarus and Chris
Hoffman respectively) strengthened the SLC/Wadham relationship through tasty
finger foods and light-hearted chat. I urge each one of you to participate in
multiple activities/clubs/societies/etc. and remain active throughout the year,
regardless of your workload. You’ve got some big shoes to fill SLawrence kiddies!
Women’s Officer
Hi Freshers! I’m Isa, your Women’s Officer for this term. My role is to ensure that partially
and fully self-identifying women in college are properly represented and to let you know
about any relevant things going on.
I also take care of one of the main facilities we have here for women: the Women’s Room
(insert joke of choice on originality of name here), stocked with provisions such as pads,
tampons, condoms, pregnancy tests and more. You can access it with the help of a handy
code so just drop me an email whenever you need access and I’ll reply ASAP. You can also
contact me about reimbursements for the morning-after pill and for certain types of
medication.
There are tons of exciting talks and events about gender equality going on in Oxford. I’ll be
sending out emails to you all about things like Wadham Feminists (our own college-based
discussion group – we’re very lucky here) and WomCam (the uni-wide OUSU Women’s
Campaign). I look forward to meeting you all! Please feel free to approach me about any more info you’d
like, in person or by email, if not just for a feminist rant. I guarantee it will make my day.
Access Officer
Hi, I'm Steph, and I'm Wadham's Access Officer! I help to inform people from a
range of backgrounds about higher education, in particular Oxford and Wadham. I
also co-ordinate the student ambassadors who help out with access events such as
school visits as well as open days and interviews. There are loads of great
opportunities to help out with Access and I'll be desperately looking for volunteers
at several points throughout the year. So please, get involved! It's fun and I'll need
you!
10
Other SU Officers
LGBTQ Officer
Hi Freshers, I’m Rachel, a 2nd year PPEist and your LGBTQ Officer for the year. Wadham
has a well-deserved reputation for being at the forefront of LGBTQIA+ issues, with both
Queerweek and the rainbow extravaganza that is Queerfest. There is an active LGBTQ/
Queer Community in college and there are loads of events in both Wadham and the
wider University that you can get stuck into if you so please. My role is very varied, with
welfare support and campaigning on behalf of the Wadham LGBTQ+ Community
coming top of the list. Most importantly though, I am here for you, so feel free to send
me an email with any questions, queeries or concerns (I love emails!). I’ll also be
around a lot during the year; organising crew dates, taking a contingent to events and
providing bountiful supplies of tea and cake until you all get tired of seeing my face.
Queer Wadham love and I look forward to seeing you all in October.
International Officer
Hey Freshers! I’m Mateusz and I’m your International Officer. This means that I’m your
point of contact if there are any issues and also that I’m responsible for organising
various events (such as crew dates or international dinners) to keep you entertained
throughout the year.
Moving to a different country can be quite a daunting experience. However, as you come
to Oxford, you’ll soon realise that there is so much going on (and I don’t mean work) that
you won’t have time to feel homesick. But if you do, or have any other concerns, speak to
someone (me for instance) about it. You might want to know that there are plenty of
national societies, so you can always spend some time with people from your home
country.
During Freshers’ week there’ll be plenty of events including international tea and the university wide orientation
programme that will help you settle in as soon as possible.
If you have any (literally ANY) questions, don’t wait till you come to Wadham to ask them - please don’t hesitate to
contact me. I’ll do my best to help! ([email protected]) I’m looking forward to meeting you.
Charities, Environment and Ethics Officer
I am equally excited and intimidated by the prospect of being your Charities, Environment and Ethics rep next year,
due to Wadhamites’ university-wide determination to make the world A Better Place
(someone’s got to do it and none of the other colleges seem to be as keen). Next year I’ll
be supporting various Fund-raising events like the Town and Gown 10k and Living Below
the Line (when participants try and survive on a £1 of food a day, what larks), working
with the Living Wage campaign, trying recycling more college waste. Since we are quite
good at parties, I also hope to organize a big fundraising event within Wadham.
If your heart bleeds for one particular, issue, you can sponsor a charity to receive a donation from Wadham at the termly charities’ meeting, or if you’d like to put on an event in
college let me know. Or if recycling is more your (non-plastic) bag, let me know
([email protected]) and you can get involved in the nascent college Green
Team.
11
Entertainment
Entz Officers and Reps
We are your four sassy, sexy and downright fabulous
ENTZ (apparently short for ‘entertainmentz’) officers
and we have the most important job in Wadham, i.e.
making sure you don’t spend all your time working
and generally having a boring life. Wadham is
famous for its plethora of ENTZ eventz, (which we’re
in charge of organising) so it is genuinely impossible
to not have fun whilst you’re here. We have the most bops of any college in Oxford and hold the illustrious
Queerfest in Michaelmas and Wadstock in Trinity (see below), as well as an assortment of other super exciting
eventz throughout the year (the Eurovision party being a personal favourite). We’re here to prove that Oxford life
isn’t all about libraries and tutorials – there’s a whole other bonkers ENTZ world that we can’t wait to show you.
See you at the Freshers Bop! (We’ll be the people behind the DJ deck/in the most ridiculous costumes/throwing
the most questionable dance moves).
Bar and Social Officers and Reps
The positions of Bar & Social Officer and Bar & Social Rep are widely regarded as the most
important roles within the SU – the Warden himself has admitted that we are indispensable
to the running of Wadham College. Our day-to-day role is essentially to work alongside the
college and Neal (everyone’s favourite barman) to help make the bar a place students want
to use. As well as this, we organise quiz nights and other activities, then send out excessively
long emails to let people know. We are also responsible for running the cocktail bar at
Queerfest and Wadstock (then cleaning up the day after). This is arguably
our most important task – the events wouldn’t be complete without a
range of multi-coloured, fluorescent drinks on offer. As well as our barrelated jobs, we edit the college’s termly magazine: Wadwords. If you’re interested in
summarising the gossip of the term or writing articles to embarrass your friends, this is definitely
something to get involved with.
Enjoy Fresher’s Week – we’ll see you in the bar!
Bops
Ever wished you could go back to the days of school discos and fancy dress parties? Well dry your tears and
WELCOME TO WADHAM BOPS. Bops are, essentially, sweaty fancy dress discos held in the Wadham JCR. Prepare
to become experts in making all manner of tenuous and unwieldy costume creations from anything you can find in
Poundland / Primark / Rymans, and get ready to leave your dignity at the door. At once a fortnight, Wadham has
more bops than any other college, and they are the busiest, loudest and most outrageous of them all. As ENTZ
officers we get the exciting task of DJ-ing at bops, so prepare yourselves for an ‘interesting’ range of music - think
Shakira, Shakira and more Shakira (only joking) (actually we’re not joking). Best of all, one of the many Wadham
traditions that you’ll soon become accustomed to is the tradition of ‘Mandela-ing’. Each bop ends with a rendition
of The Specials’ ‘Free Nelson Mandela’, where we clamber onto each other’s shoulders, sing along and generally
get emosh. Bops are a truly beautiful experience.
12
Big Wadham Events
Queerfest
Perhaps Wadham’s most famous annual event, Queerfest certainly
shows us at our best. Rounding off Michaelmas’s Queer Week with a
bang, Queerfest is an opportunity for us to rejoice in LGBTQ culture and
celebrate everything LGBTQ in typical Wadham style. Hundreds of
students clothed in the finest and probably most
outrageous and colourful outfits they can find flock
to the college gardens to experience a night of
revelry, involving fabulous entertainment and top quality food and drink. No dance
move is too shameful and no outfit too OTT. Past entertainment has included an
ABBA tribute band and the finest obligatory drag acts, as well as some of Wadham’s
home grown musical geniuses. It is sure to be a night you will never forget unless
you pass out in anticipation and never actually make it (that definitely didn’t happen
to one of us last year...).
Wadstock
To kick off the beginning of Trinity term, music can be heard
beating out down Parks Road as Wadham hosts its own mini
music festival in our beautiful gardens – this is the 12 hour music
marathon that is Wadstock. The college is filled with the sweet
sounds of reggae, soul, rock, funk, rap, poetry, jazz and more as
bands from Oxford and beyond come to play on this legendary
stage. During the day there is a chance to soak up the sunshine
(hopefully!) and enjoy the mellow music with the full range of
Wadham’s speciality cocktails. Expect delicious festival food,
two bars, a bouncy castle / bungee run / other inflatable activity,
face painting, flower garland making and a host of other activities. As the sun sets, it’s time to turn up the
volume and dance the night away finishing with best rendition of ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ you will ever
experience. Outdoor Mandelaing anyone?
13
Oxford Clubs
We’ve had the most prolific attendees of various clubs give you their take on some of Oxford’s best nights out. They
should give you a bit of an insight into the kind of crowd you’ll find at each. And whatever people from other unis may
claim, Oxford clubbing is great!
Park End
Officially named lava & ignite but known affectionately as Park End to every single student ever, this is Oxford’s biggest
club. The big Uni night here is Fubar on a Wednesday; self-styled as ‘Oxford University’s Favourite Night,’ and the Official
Sports Night. Best bits: Three floors so something 4 every 1 – cheese, chart and r&b/hip hop and it’s always packed (in a
good way) Worst bits: Can’t think of any. I love park end <3. Be careful – VKs are a fab idea at the time but when you’re
in your 9 a.m. medieval German poetry seminar? Not so much.
Bridge
Best bits: Arguably biggest selling point is ~~~~ANUBA~~~~, the bar connected to the club. THE home of outrageously
cheap doubles and fab tunez, by which I obviously mean a bizarre mix of reggae, dancehall and the Top 40. The upstairs
offers House/Club music and downstairs plays every song that’s been in the charts for the last five years and which you
definitely shouldn’t know the words to but definitely do. Worst bits: Could be
described as a sweaty corridor. Nothing wrong with that though.
PS. ***Insider Tip*** The Brookes night at Bridge on a Monday is often even
wavier than the Uni night. So anytime you hear someone complain about boring
Monday nights, tell them to get a grip and drag them to Anubezzzzz....
(Emma Davies 2nd Year French and German)
PT
Why come here to have fun? Why is Jackass permanently on the TV screens? Who plays table football in a club? With its
dangerous low ceilings was this place designed for hobbits? Why are the
patrons acting as if Skrillex’ work of circa 2007 is anything to cheer about?
All questions you may ask as you enter the distastefully decorated tunnel
system that is Purple Turtle. And I’m afraid no one knows the answers. PT’s
greatest asset is the lack of any delusion of grandeur as suffered by pretty
much every other club in the world. A last resort for most nights but the go to
destination of all those who still have some energy after a bop on a Saturday.
Although, to be frank, PT is the oxygen mask through which you vainly suck
for one last buzz as the ’plane that is your night plummets to its fiery doom.
(2nd Years Ralph Weir and Joe Knight)
Plush
The Plush Lounge is Oxford’s only dedicated LGBTQ club, #SELFIE chapel and
smoke-machine paradise. Utterly tacky, utterly fabulous. Best bits: regularly plays
Cher’s “Believe” and is therefore often populated almost exclusively with
Wadhamites. Worst bit: S Club’s Jo ‘O Meara has only performed live there once.
(Jakk Hayes (centre) 2nd Year Italian and French. Glitter expert and taker of quiche
selfies)
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Oxford Clubs
Wahoo : Wahoo is Oxford University’s standard Friday night. To enjoy the
real experience arrive at ‘Wahoo Bar and Grill’ for a 6 p.m. steak accompanied
with a £2.50 double vodka mixer. Alternatively arrive at 11 p.m. for a long
queue on busy weeks. When you get inside a standard order includes four
VK’s – held akimbo style, or if you back yourself strawpedoed immediately.
This two floor venue plays your standard club music with an incredibly enthusiastic DJ on the top floor who will shout out anything you ask him to and who
frequently exclaims: ‘Is Oxford Uni in the house?’ when Friday night Wahoo is
an Oxford Uni-only event. The scenes of VK-induced hedonism create memories
that will last a lifetime, or maybe just a minute.
Junction : Essentially Junction is a room. A room with a dance floor
cordoned off by metal railings from a London Underground tube station.
Many a Wadham student has acknowledged the Kafkaesque compulsion to
attend Junction regularly without particular reason. This is due to the fact
that you enter subject to the coercion of an unknown and intangible
authority that one can only assume is the metaphysical embodiment of the
need for carnage. Consequently a night in Junction results in a process of
judgement for the unacknowledged guilt that you will experience when
considering why you are in an institution that is playing a drum and bass
remix of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme tune.
Lola Lo’s :The fact that Lola Lo’s even exists in Oxford is proof of the fact that we are living in a dystopian
universe. Lola Lo’s Oxford on a Thursday is officially known as #LolaLash. As you enter into the underground lair of
Hawaiian Tiki style scenery you will lose yourself in a club that is best described as a somewhat Orwellian
experience. Once inebriated however, the music, scenery and sights of carnage and slaughter make for a
thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Camera : Camera, or as it is more commonly known ‘Cameraahh’ is a staple Oxford Tuesday night, the
home of the red chino, blazer-wearing Oxford stereotype. The last time a Wadham student visited this club in a non
-ironic manner was reportedly in 2007. It’s unlikely many of you will go to Camera in your first year but if you do be
sure to descend its spiral staircase to the lower dance floor to find scenes reminiscent of Charles II’s restoration in
1667 and beware of the drinks prices which bear certain similarities to prices in an early 1930’s Germany.
(3rd Years Ben Szreter, James Reid and Oliver Sugg. Wadham Croquet 1st team and VK enthusiasts)
Cellar : If you’re from anywhere vaguely civilized, you’re going to have to seriously adjust
your expectation of clubs. They shut ridiculously early and WKD and Flo Rida are socially
acceptable, if not actively encouraged. Cellar is a shining beacon of hope for all grime
starved red-stripe drinkers and wearers of wavey garms who’ve never quite managed to
make peace with their decision to turn down Bristol. It has ACTUAL DJS THAT YOU’VE
ACTUALLY HEARD OF (sadly, this is a genuinely big deal in Oxford). Don’t let Park End’s
tenuously named urban floor dishearten you: Cellar, The O2 Academy and The Bullingdon
(not that one) will (almost) fill the Dalston-shaped hole in your life.
(Niamh McIntyre 2nd Year English student, social critic and closet hipster)
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Traditional Events
Oxford has been around for a long time, and as a result has many old traditions which, if nothing else, end up being
lots of fun for you. The ones to look out for are:
Matriculation
So it's the Saturday after Freshers' Week and you've survived (and maybe even enjoyed) your first proper week here - it’s time to recognise your status as an Oxford
student. This is your official initiation as a member of the university and as a result
requires something a tad dramatic. You dress up in funny traditional gear (sub-fusc,
look out for a description of this later on in the guide) and all gather in a big hall
with other colleges and get spoken to in Latin for a bit. The boring part over, you grab your friends, your camera
and a punt. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy dressed up all smart and really revel in your status as a Wadhamite.
Cruise up and down the river drinking champagne (or Cava...), take photos of everyone in their gowns and while the
day away.
Mayday
May 1st is a big deal in Oxford and festivities start at 6 a.m. when thousands of people (including lots of Morris
dancers and people dressed as trees) congregate next to Magdalen College to listen to their college choir sing from
atop their tower. Apparently this has been going on every year since the 1500’s. A lot of students will stay up the
night before and join the festivities in a sleep-deprived, zombie-like delirium. Not recommended for anyone with
labs the next day (scalpels and no sleep is a dangerous combination!) but be sure to get up nice and early to join in.
ChristChurch Regatta, Torpids and Summer Eights
Rowing
is pretty big at Oxford and it won't be long before you overhear people intently
discussing their stroke and how to avoid “catching a crab” - you might even end up being the
one doing the discussing! Regardless of whether you take up rowing, everyone tends to get
involved in Torpids and Summer Eights, either by participating in the race or just coming along
to cheer on their college mates, eating some scones, drinking Pimms and having a picnic in the
meadows. These are the two ‘bumps’ races that Oxford holds every year – they’re like any old
boat race but with an emphasis on crashing. Instead of racing side-by-side, boats are lined up down the bank of the
river and the goal is to catch the crew in front. This can mean boats crash into each other pretty violently which is
always fun to watch. And sometimes if you’re lucky, a novice crew will crash into the bank, which is even better!
College Balls
The Oxford college balls are huge and you’re unlikely to experience anything else quite like them. Each college normally holds a ball once every
few years and it’s definitely worth experiencing one during your time at
here. Each one is different and you never quite know what you’ll find
inside. I’m talking anything from laser quest to a full scale fairground and
all this in black tie and ball gowns. Regardless, you can pretty much
guarantee unlimited food and drink and lots of interesting entertainment!
There’ll often be a big name headline act on too – past headliners have
included The Streets, The Other Tribe, Coldplay, Dizzee Rascal and Electric Six.
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Arts
There is an amazing variety of things to do in Wadham and across the university when it
comes to Arts. The best place to start is always the Freshers' fair where you can sign up
to anything you like and if you miss something then the Arts Newsletter, written weekly
by Wadham's Arts Officer, Alex Leigh, will keep you updated on a weekly basis!
Drama
Drama in Oxford is a massive and vibrant community with a
huge number of actors, directors, producers and technicians
all ready and willing to try things out. The best place to start
is the Oxford University Drama Society (OUDS) website www.ouds.org - which will tell you what's on and what you
can audition for or help out with. Specifically for Freshers is
the Drama Cuppers competition, where groups of up to eight performers put on their own choice of show at
the Burton Taylor Studio during Michaelmas term; last year Wadham entered several teams with some great
displays of talent from both groups. Wadham is also home to the Moser Theatre (though it's also a badminton
court) where many productions are staged.
Music
Wadham is home to a great variety of musical ensembles. There are
choir groups such as the Chapel Choir and all-female 6 While 7 choir.
Anyone can get involved and it’s a great opportunity to show off
musical talent! Students have also formed bands, such as Fuck You
Andy and the hugely successful funk bands Garfunkel and Dot’s
Funk Odyssey. Wadham also has the Holywell Music Room, the
oldest purpose-built concert hall in Britain, which in last year college
students and staff performed Faure’s Requiem.
Arts Week
Wadham Arts Week in Trinity term celebrates the creativity of
Wadhamites in weird and wonderful ways. This year there was
a brilliant improvisation workshop in the Moser with the
Oxford Imps and ever popular tie-dying in the Bar Quad. The
Week culminates in Wadstock, one of the best nights of the
year!
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Sports
Sports Teams
At Wadham we cater for nearly every sport imaginable from the more main stream such as football and netball to
niche sports such as ultimate Frisbee, mixed lacrosse and alternative ice hockey! There are also the ‘classic’ Oxford
sports such as rowing and croquet for those after the entire ‘Oxford experience’. Whether you’ve been playing your
sport since you could walk or a complete beginner and want to try something new, everyone is welcome and we
have teams of ranging abilities and seriousness. Watch out for the meet and greet session in Fresher’s week, where
you can come along and get a taster for what sport at Wadham has to offer.
Cuppers
Each year intercollegiate competitions called ‘cuppers’ take place for almost every
sport at Oxford. It’s a chance for you to compete for the bragging rights over other
colleges and if you are successful you may be invited to a special dinner on ‘high
table’ with the warden.
Facilities at Wadham
The college gym has recently undergone a complete revamp with a load of new equipment exclusively for Wadham
students’ use. As well a number of rowing machines we have a range of weights, a power rack, leg press and
various work benches. The gym is free to use – all you need is a gym induction for unlimited access – so keep an eye
out for when these sessions are being run during Fresher’s Week! We also have our own badminton and squash
courts, just ask at the lodge to borrow racquets if you don’t have your own. Merifield, our own college sports
ground and home of football, netball, rugby and cricket at Wadham, is located a five minute bike ride away. For
those after the full gym experience, Wadham also offers discounted membership to the Iffley Road University gym
– get in touch for details.
Blues and Half Blues
If you’re particularly talented in your sport you have the chance to represent the University and gain a ‘Blue’ or ‘Half Blue’. This is a distinguished
recognition for those who have competed in a Varsity match against
Cambridge and shown sporting excellence throughout the season. Watch
out for the sports stalls at Fresher’s fair – you can sign up here and they
will have details about trials etc.
“Hi everyone, I’m Susie, your Sports Officer at Wadham! Sports are a huge part of life at Wadham and I would
encourage as many of you as possible to get involved during your first week. Whether you’re a sport fanatic or more
casual, it’s a fantastic way to meet new people whilst keeping off the inevitable beer
belly. I’ll be sending out weekly emails, letting you know how our teams have been
getting on and also about upcoming events. The most important thing is that sport is
enjoyed by all at Wadham – so put down your pens and pick up a racquet/stick/bat.
There’s a sport for everyone regardless of ability and the social scene is not to be
missed. If you have any questions, queries or suggestions, please email me at
[email protected] and I’ll do my best to help out!”
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Ox Speak
In a few weeks words like “pidge” and “bop” will be rolling off your tongue like a pro but in the meantime here
is a dictionary of Oxford slang to help you get to grips with some of the new words you'll come across here.
BATTELS - The fees you must pay at the beginning of each term
THE BOD - The Bodleian library, made up of the Old Bodleain, New Bodleian and the famous Radcliffe Camera.
BOD CARD - Your university card, used for paying for food at college, as a library card, a swipe key to get into
college and as an I.D. Basically, try not to lose it. It costs £10 to replace as well.
BOATIES - People obsessed with rowing
BLUES - People who compete at university level in sport
BOPS - Fortnightly parties in college (usually fancy dress)
THE CHERWELL - A student newspaper
COLLECTIONS - Start of term exams revising last term's work.
COWLEY and IFFLEY - The streets where many Second Years live out
CREW DATE - Socials between two sports teams or societies
CUPPERS - Inter college competition (e.g. drama or sport)
THE DB - The domestic bursar, in charge of many aspects of Wadham life
THE DEAN - The head of discipline
ERGS - Rowing machines
THE ISIS - That part of the river Thames which runs through Oxford
JAMALS - A bring-your-own-alcohol curry house, popular for crew dates.
JCR - The junior common room (i.e. for undergraduates). Also where the “bops” are held.
MATRICULATION - A short ceremony which marks your official induction into Oxford University
MERIFIELD - The area where Wadham’s other accommodation may be found
MICHAELMAS/HILARY/TRINITY - The 1st/2nd/3rd term
QUADS - The grassy squares in college
NEXUS - The Oxford email system
THE OXFORD UNION - Not to be confused with OUSU, which is Oxford’s student union. The Oxford Union is the
debating society which you have to pay to join. There are discounts for those who receive bursaries.
THE OXFORD STUDENT - Another student newspaper (often shortened to “Ox Stu”)
PIDGE - Your pigeon hole for post/notes
PORTERS - The people who man the reception to college
PRELIMS/MODS - Exams, usually sat at the end of the first year
PUNT – A flat boat that pushed along the Isis using a big pole
REFEC - The new refectory, where the first sitting of dinner is served
THE RAD CAM - The Radcliffe Camera, the big circular library
SU - The student union
SUB FUSC - The outfit you wear for Matriculation and exams
SUMMER EIGHTS - The rowing competition in Trinity term
TORPIDS - The rowing competition in Hilary term
TUTE - Tutorials, a class with your tutor
TUTE SHEETS - The preparation work for tutorials
VARSITY - A match between Oxford and Cambridge
WARDEN'S COLLECTIONS - Individual annual meetings with the College Warden to discuss academic progress
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Guide For Dummies
You might have forgotten this but there is a life after Freshers’ Week. It’s a good idea to get that life set up before
1st Week begins. Here are a few things you can do during Freshers’ Week…

Get Internet access. If you’ve got a PC or laptop you’ll either need an Ethernet cable to get Internet in
your room or connect to the wifi. You might want a long cable in case it doesn’t quite stretch to your
desk (or bed). Set this up ASAP because you’ll start getting emails straight away. For your university
wireless internet account which can be used at various libraries as well as in college, check out this
website for details: http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/network/wireless/

Buy food. There will be times when you miss college meals and it can be a long 2 minute walk into town
if you’re hungry. A well-stocked fridge is like gold dust. Be warned, you may suddenly become extremely
‘popular’ on your staircase.
Buy

Sub-fusc. This is the traditional Oxford dress needed for
Matriculation in 1st Week and for exams. For boys it’s a dark suit,
smart black shoes, white shirt, white bow tie, black gown and
mortar board. For girls it’s a black skirt, black tights, smart black
shoes, white shirt, black ribbon, black gown and mortar board. In
each case the final three can be bought from shops in Oxford.
Sheppard & Woodward on the High Street do deals on sub-fusc if
you don’t want to splash out or you could empty your wallet at
Ede & Ravenscroft if you want to look ‘dead posh’. At the end of
the year your friends will ruin this by pelting you with things as
you leave exams, because…. Ya know… tradition.

Go to where your lectures are: you’d be surprised how often people leave college on Monday of 1st
Week for their first ever lecture and then realise they have no idea where it is. Don’t let this be you.
You’ll look silly.

Complete a gym induction so that you can use the Wadham gym. If you find that you want more gym
equipment then join the University gym. Luckily the college will subsidise your membership for the
University gym at Iffley Road Sports Complex. It’ll only cost you £10 and will give you shapely guns and
rock hard abs.

Put money on your bod card – The bod card is the key thing you need
in Oxford. You’ll be issued with one at registration and you can use it to pay
for meals and drinks in the bar. The College automatically puts £100 on it for
your meals but if you want to put money on your bar tab then you’ll need to
log into the Meal Booking System https://mbs.wadham.ox.ac.uk/. From here
you can also pay your battels (and book in and out of meals).
Get a bike or sign-up for the new SU bike share scheme, if you feel a
bike will be useful.

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Wadham College Map
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Useful Contacts
Some Useful Contacts at Wadham
Depending on the nature of the issues affecting you, there are a number of College Officers who are able to
support and advice. Further details, along with contact information can be found in the College Handbook (which is
now online) or on the website: Students -> Health & Welfare. You’ll get a chance to meet with different College
Officers involved in Wel-fare at the ‘Welcome to Welfare @ Wadham’ session on Tuesday afternoon.
Some Useful Contacts in Oxford
Doctors Surgery: 19 Beaumont Street, 01865 240501
Oxford Police: 01865 266000
John Radcliffe Hospital: 01865 741166
Counselling Service: [email protected],
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/shw/counserv.shtml
Disabilities Office: [email protected],
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/disab/
Equal Opportunities Office: [email protected],
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop
Harassment Line: [email protected],
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop/har
International Office: [email protected],
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/io
Oxford rape crisis centre: (01865) 726295
Nightline: (01865 2)70270. Nightline is an independent listening, support, and information service run for and
by students.
Family Planning Clinic (the Alec Turnbull Clinic): 23 Raglan House, Between Towns Road, Cowley
01865 456666 open Monday–Thursday: 9.30 a.m.–7.00 p.m. Friday: 9.30 a.m.–4.00 p.m. Saturday: 10.30
a.m.–1.30 p.m.
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Useful Contacts
Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) runs the Student Advice Service (SAS). The OUSU Student Advice
Service is a confidential listening, information and advocacy service. The service aims to provide a space for
students to talk over their worries in confidence and to offer information on a range of issues which students might
encounter during their time at Oxford. You can email [email protected] or you can contact an individual OUSU VicePresident who works on the service:

VP Welfare [email protected]

VP Access and Academic Affairs [email protected]

VP Women

VP Graduates [email protected]
[email protected]
Some Useful Contacts outside Oxford
NHS Direct (24 hour helpline): 08454647
Alcoholics Anonymous: (01865) 242373
Cruse bereavement centre: (01865) 245398
Eating disorders association helpline: 08456 341 414
FRANK (drugs helpline): 0800776600
Lesbian and gay switchboard: 020 7837 7324
Pregnancy advice: 08457 304030
Samaritans: (01865) 722122
Sexual health information line: 0800 567123
Terrence Higgins Trust (formerly OxAIDS): (01865) 243389
National Meningitis Helpline: 0345 538118
Diabetic Information Service: 01816 565467
Release (legal advice on drug related issues): 02076 038654
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What to Pack
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