Post by robotsmfc on Nov 9, 2010 10:07:24 GMT
The University of Durham - in all its traditional 'glory' - is a collegiate university. That is to say, you're a member of a 'college' first and the university second.
So far, so boring. What, you may ask, is the problem with this? The problem lies in the notion that different colleges stand for different things that all of their members must obviously subscribe to. Over 178 years, different colleges have picked up very different reputations and buildings; from a castle to an odd tesselation of hexagonal prisms (supposedly a postmodern interpretation of said castle).
My college, Hatfield (which I picked because it has the nicest buildings and is closest to the History department), has the reputation of being full of posh bastards (each endowed with a more than healthy dose of LAD) who weren't quite landed enough to get into Castle and have a chip on their shoulders about it.
Contrast this with Josephine Butler. Established in 2006 and parked next to Ustinov on the edge of the city, in purpose-built modern buildings. Reputation for attracting more working class and international students.
About twice per year, colleges offer 'stash', which is a sort of hand-customised clothing with the college crest - and whatever else you might want - on it. The same company supplies all of it. All you have to do to access a different college's order is change the url from say: www.phoenixprint.com/hatfield, to /butler, /castle, /chads, etc.
I decided, since we share the same surname and the first two letters of our forename, to get a Butler polo shirt, in their 'traditional' yellow. Yesterday, I went to my lecture in this polo shirt, with a Hatfield hoodie in traditional royal blue over the top (because I'm the poorest of the poor, the government kindly gives me money to burn on such things). The reaction of those who noticed my neat little juxtaposition ranged from amusement to confusion to shock. Damn imagined communities, if people are so sad/taken in as to be shocked by someone visibly challenging the concept of college identity then they really do need to get out more. Out more outside of the little bubble of Durham University.
I'm planning on wearing it to Hatfield bar at some point. Thankfully I think lynching was banned when the college finally began to admit women in 1988.
So far, so boring. What, you may ask, is the problem with this? The problem lies in the notion that different colleges stand for different things that all of their members must obviously subscribe to. Over 178 years, different colleges have picked up very different reputations and buildings; from a castle to an odd tesselation of hexagonal prisms (supposedly a postmodern interpretation of said castle).
My college, Hatfield (which I picked because it has the nicest buildings and is closest to the History department), has the reputation of being full of posh bastards (each endowed with a more than healthy dose of LAD) who weren't quite landed enough to get into Castle and have a chip on their shoulders about it.
Contrast this with Josephine Butler. Established in 2006 and parked next to Ustinov on the edge of the city, in purpose-built modern buildings. Reputation for attracting more working class and international students.
About twice per year, colleges offer 'stash', which is a sort of hand-customised clothing with the college crest - and whatever else you might want - on it. The same company supplies all of it. All you have to do to access a different college's order is change the url from say: www.phoenixprint.com/hatfield, to /butler, /castle, /chads, etc.
I decided, since we share the same surname and the first two letters of our forename, to get a Butler polo shirt, in their 'traditional' yellow. Yesterday, I went to my lecture in this polo shirt, with a Hatfield hoodie in traditional royal blue over the top (because I'm the poorest of the poor, the government kindly gives me money to burn on such things). The reaction of those who noticed my neat little juxtaposition ranged from amusement to confusion to shock. Damn imagined communities, if people are so sad/taken in as to be shocked by someone visibly challenging the concept of college identity then they really do need to get out more. Out more outside of the little bubble of Durham University.
I'm planning on wearing it to Hatfield bar at some point. Thankfully I think lynching was banned when the college finally began to admit women in 1988.