Lincoln College News SEPTEMBER 2020
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Imprint
Lincoln College News
SEPTEMBER 2020
Editorial Contents
This has been a year that none of us will forget. Michaelmas term was as busy and COLLEGE NEWS 1
joyful as ever, as we welcomed a new cohort of Lincoln students and excitedly looked
forward to the year ahead. Plans were made to celebrate the 40th anniversary of CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF WOMEN AT LINCOLN 2
female students at Lincoln, and an alumnae exhibition, pictured on the cover of this
edition of Imprint, was unveiled in Hall to mark the occasion (pp.2-3). We were joined REFLECTIONS ON MY FIRST YEAR AT LINCOLN
by new Fellows, including the latest Newton Abraham Visiting Professor, Dr Alan – Dr Lydia Matthews 4
Garfinkel (pp.12-13), and a new Senior Tutor, Dr Lydia Matthews (pp.4-5). Hilary term
started with aplomb, with the College’s first equality and diversity week, ‘Lincoln A COVID MOONSHOT – Dr John Vakonakis 6
Unites’ (pp.20-21), and the return of our popular lecture series, Lincoln Leads (p.22).
ON BEING A DARBY FELLOW – Dr Sam Brewitt-Taylor 8
Sadly, this year’s programme was cut short as Covid-19 reached the UK and the global
pandemic forced the College into lockdown in March.
IN SEARCH OF RESPECT – Dr Gabrielle Watson 10
It is hard to put into words quite how this has impacted the College. Most of our
VISITING LINCOLN: LIFE AS A NEWTON ABRAHAM
students left Oxford at the end of Hilary term and have not been able to return.
PROFESSOR – Dr Alan Garfinkel 12
Fellows and staff have been working from home, while our wonderful porters,
interviewed on pp.14-15, have been coming in to look after the College in our absence.
INTRODUCING: THE LODGE 14
Research projects have changed tack, with Biochemistry Fellow, Dr John Vakonakis,
joining a collaborative effort to identify molecules that may halt the replication of THE JCR 2019-20 16
the Covid-19 virus (pp.6-7). Plans were put into place to move Trinity term teaching
and exams online; a huge adjustment for both tutors and students, but ultimately THE MCR 2019-20 17
a successful one (read more on pp.18-19). Preparations for Michaelmas term 2020
are still being made, but we are planning to have all students back in residence, with LEARNING IN LOCKDOWN 18
social distancing measures in place. Following the uncertainty around A-level results
and admissions, we are delighted to have confirmed the places of all undergraduate LINCOLN UNITES: EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY WEEK 20
offer-holders and we look forward to welcoming our new students to Lincoln
(possibly the largest intake in the College’s history). They will be joining a remarkable LINCOLN LEADS AND THE LOCKDOWN EDITION 22
student body. The JCR and MCR have handled the disruption caused by the pandemic
with impressive resilience, and have been supporting each other throughout this MY FAIR LADY – LCMS Report 23
challenging time. As well as moving social events and committee meetings online, the
MCR also organised a ‘lockdown edition’ of Lincoln Leads on YouTube (pp.22), while ON THE RIVER – LCBC Report 24
the Boat Club has been holding team fitness classes on Zoom (full report on pp.24-25).
JCR REFURBISHMENT 26
Many of our alumni have been directly involved in the Covid-19 response and a
number are featured in a report on pp.32-33. We also have articles from Dr David DEVELOPMENT UPDATE 27
Walcott (2011) who has been at the forefront of the Covid-19 response in the
Caribbean (pp.34-35), and Hilary Hutton-Squire (1994), the Managing Director of EVENTS REPORT 2019-20 28
pharmaceutical giant Gilead UK and Ireland. Hilary’s article on pp.36-37 offers
unique insight into drug-discovery and development during a crisis. Tackling another MY LINCOLN – Santha Rasaiah (1979) 30
challenge brought on by the pandemic is Mark Kent (1983), the UK Ambassador to
Argentina, who had the enormous task of repatriating British citizens from Argentina; COVID RESPONSES IN THE ALUMNI COMMUNITY 32
read about his efforts on pp.38-39.
DAVID & GOLIATH: A FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
We were blown away by the response to our call for alumni mentors, and were able – Dr David Walcott (2011) 34
to create almost 700 alumni-student partnerships, many of which have continued
to this day. You can read about the success of this scheme on pp.40-41. Equally COVID DRUG DISCOVERY: ADVANCING ON ALL FRONTS
overwhelming was the generosity of alumni following the launch our Covid-19 Appeal. – Hilary Hutton-Squire (1994) 36
The donations we received, and continue to receive, will allow the College to respond
to the pandemic and continue to support our students and teaching efforts. THE CHANGING FACE OF DIPLOMACY AND COVID-19
– Mark Kent (1983) 38
Thank you to all those who have supported the College during this difficult year.
Never have I felt prouder to be part of this extraordinary community. ALUMNI MENTORING SCHEME:
CONNECTION IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 40
Julia Uwins
Alumni and College Communications Officer ALUMNI NEWS 42
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College & Fellows
College news
Lincoln welcomes new Senior Tutor, Dr Mark Kirby to Tortilla the tortoise
Dr Lydia Matthews write a history of joins the Lincoln
Following the retirement of Dr Louise the Lincoln College community
Durning after 13 years at Lincoln, the Chapel We are delighted to
College welcomed Dr Lydia Matthews to The College has announce that the
the post of Senior Tutor in August 2019. appointed Dr College has adopted
Lydia previously taught Ancient History Mark Kirby to the a nine-year old male
at Oxford, before spending two years as position of Child– Horsefield tortoise,
Head of Administration and Finance at Shuffrey Fellow in named Tortilla.
the Faculty of Theology and Religion. For Architectural History. During his four-year During the College closure, Tortilla has
an in-depth look at Lydia’s first year as Fellowship, Mark’s research will focus been cared for by our Head Gardener,
Senior Tutor, please see pp.4-5. on the College Chapel and Chapel Quad, Aimee Irving-Bell, who has a degree in
with a view to publishing a book as Zoology with a specialism in reptile care.
part of the College’s 600th anniversary Tortilla is particularly fond of escaping
celebrations in 2027. Mark is particularly from his enclosure and making a beeline
interested in why the College Visitor, for Aimee’s vegetable patch – much to
Bishop Williams, commissioned and her horror! When back in College, Aimee
financed the construction of such a grand will be joined by student helpers who
and ornamented chapel when his own will all share responsibility for looking
theological position was as a moderate after Tortilla.
Calvinist. He hopes that the answers to
this question will tell us much about the Q&A and book signing with John le Carré
role of episcopal patronage in the early We were thrilled to be joined by alumnus
seventeenth century and of the notions and Honorary Fellow, David Cornwell
of decorum in church architecture and (a.k.a. John le Carré), for a special student
worship. This book will be volume one of Q&A during Michaelmas term. In Oxford
a proposed three-volume architectural to promote his latest novel, Agent
history of the College. Running in the Field, David spoke to
students about his life and career, before
Introduction of a Multi-Faith Prayer and taking questions from the audience. The
Quiet Room event ended with a drinks reception and
As part of an ongoing commitment to book signing. Many thanks to David for a
Book awards for Lincoln Fellows equality and diversity, the College opened memorable evening!
Congratulations to Dr J.P. Park (June a Multi-Faith Prayer and Quiet Room in
and Simon Li Associate Professor in January 2020. Located in Staircase 15,
the History of Art), winner of the 2020 this space is open to all members of the
Charles Rufus Morey Book Award for College community and welcomes those
his latest publication, A New Middle of any religious viewpoint or of agnostic
Kingdom: Painting and Cultural Politics views. It can be used for private prayer,
in Late Chosŏn Korea (1700–1850). The peaceful contemplation, meditation, and
Charles Rufus Morey Book Award, quiet time.
issued by the College Art Association
and established in 1953, honours New College website
distinguished books in the history of art. In May, the College launched a new
website with a more modern design and
The College is also pleased to announce fresh content. The site has additional
that Dr Sam Brewitt-Taylor (Darby Fellow features such as a virtual tour, interactive
in History) was awarded the Ecclesiastical timeline, and College blog. We have
History Society (EHS) Book Prize for worked with subject tutors and Fellows
Christian Radicalism in the Church of to create informative course pages,
England and the Invention of the British alongside student testimonials to give
Sixties, 1957-1970. Read more about Sam’s prospective students a taste of life at
time as Lincoln’s Darby Fellow in History, Lincoln. We hope you enjoy exploring the
on pp.8-9. new site: https://lincoln.ox.ac.uk.
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Celebrating 40 years of women at Lincoln:
an exhibition of inspiring alumnae
In 1979, Lincoln College admitted women as students for the first time. It was a landmark moment in the
College’s history, described in that year’s Record as the ‘most revolutionary change in modern times that has
taken place in Lincoln’s history’.
To mark the fortieth anniversary in The photos themselves were taken by An unveiling event took place on Saturday
2019-20, the College commissioned a professional portrait photographer 21 September, and it was wonderful to have
photographic portrait exhibition to hang Robert Taylor (https://taylor-photo. so many of the alumnae in the exhibition
in Hall for the duration of the anniversary co.uk/), who had successfully in attendance, along with their family and
year, featuring a range of inspiring photographed similar exhibitions friends. Together we enjoyed drinks and
Lincoln alumnae from across the decades. for both Hertford and Trinity. It was a canapés, as well as speeches from the Rector
But how to decide who to include in pleasure to work with Robert and we and Alison Hartley (1980). This exhibition
this exhibition? For this, we turned to were delighted with the final images, was intended to be the first celebration of
the Lincoln community and asked for printed in black and white to stand many, with a fortieth anniversary event due
nominations from alumni, students, staff, out against the larger permanent oil to take place in March featuring a number
and Fellows. In total we received almost paintings in Hall. Hanging them was no of alumnae speakers and a special dinner
200 nominations, and a small committee easy task – they needed to be prominent, in Hall. This event was sadly cancelled due
was tasked with creating a shortlist – a but not at risk of getting knocked by to the Covid-19 pandemic and we hope
tricky job considering the impressive pool students sitting on benches either side to be able to reschedule at some point
of nominations from which to choose. of Hall – but was achieved thanks to the next year. Despite the disruption caused
It is testament to the strength of the careful attention of Robert and Lincoln’s by lockdown, we did manage to arrange a
submissions that the resulting exhibition Clerk of Works, Julian Mitchell. virtual celebration on Zoom, with a panel
featured not twenty, but twenty-one of speakers including Lesley MacKay (1979),
Lincoln alumnae. Sarah Harding (1989), Lynn Shepherd (1982),
We owe a lasting debt of Naomi Kellman (2008), Helen O’Hara
The women in this exhibition show (1996), Adiba Osmani (1995), Sophie Evekink
that success comes in many different
gratitude, however, to the (2012) and Asha De Vos (2003). With over 50
forms. They reflect the diversity of women who from 1979 onwards alumni joining the call, it was a reminder
our community, representing a range of the strength of our Lincoln community
of backgrounds, ages, careers, and proved beyond a shadow of and the importance of coming together to
achievements. Together, they show the doubt their intellectual and celebrate this anniversary.
many possibilities and opportunities
available, and we hope that their sporting prowess, and their We are delighted to feature the alumnae
experiences and stories will serve to portraits on the cover of this edition of
inspire the next generation of Lincoln
value as members of the College Imprint. A list of names can be found on
students. community. the reverse.
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Dr Lucy Wooding Robert Taylor, few moments in a riotous Parliament
(Langford Fellow Exhibition building to a gently indulgent afternoon
and Tutor in History; photographer in a private study. There were
Fellow Archivist) fascinatingly contrasted contexts and
‘Photographing personal stories. I had a wonderfully rich
‘Today, in the the women of range of experiences capturing this
fortieth anniversary Lincoln College collection of characters. In some ways it
year of women involved travels was a great shame that the adventure
at Lincoln, our college is resoundingly from Macclesfield to Westward Ho! in had to come to an end. What a fantastic
co-educational, and it is hard to imagine environments ranging from a snatched array of ability, achievement, and charm!’
it any other way. We owe a lasting debt
of gratitude, however, to the women
who from 1979 onwards proved beyond
a shadow of doubt their intellectual
and sporting prowess, and their value
as members of the College community.
It must have taken a lot of courage, as
well as talent, hard work, and energy. This
exhibition celebrates just some of those
trail-blazing women who helped shape
our college into the society we so love
today, and who continue to inspire the
next generation.’
Caroline Sarll (1983)
‘How do I feel to
be included in this
exhibition? Over
the moon, teary,
honoured – and
validated. For a
diffident Welsh Comp girl, who battled
the ubiquitous impostor syndrome,
this was a reaffirmation that ‘my lovely
Lincoln’ not only inspires and values
academic/career-inspired laurels, but
champions maverick endeavour (raising
my girls bilingually), life-changing
activism (WAY) and familial success
(elder daughter, a Lincolnite, younger, The
Other Place). I still pinch myself thinking
of my Hall portrait, rubbing shoulders
with the other illustrious alumnae and
the wonderful Chef Jim Murden. I feel
I’ve secured my place in Lincoln’s history.
Ineffable. Really. The sadness? There was
a painful synchronicity to getting this
accolade just after losing my beloved
mum, who taught me, like Lincoln, that
we gals, given the right education, really
can do anything. Our early loss of my dad
was the catalyst not only for WAY, but
for my determination to excel. Lincoln
gave me that chance. This is better than
any Oscar. Thank you. My gratitude is
immense.’
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Reflections on my first year
could write their exams if they couldn’t
do these at home and our Librarian set up
at Lincoln
a postal loans and scanning service. Our
tutors spent the Easter vacation rewriting
their reading lists and thinking about
how to get the most of online resources
I joined Lincoln as Senior Tutor in August last year. I am originally and platforms like Microsoft Teams.
from South Africa and took my first degrees at the University of
While I think that it is safe to say that
KwaZulu-Natal. After finishing my Master’s degree, I was awarded none of us would wish for another
a scholarship to study at Oxford. I arrived in the UK in 2007, never term like the one just past, I have been
deeply impressed by the remarkable
having left Southern Africa before, to take my doctorate in Roman way in which all members of the College
History at Brasenose College. have met its challenges. Our finalists in
particular have had to sit their last exams
After graduating, I taught Ancient at our annual Scholars and Exhibitioners in their bedrooms or at their kitchen
History at Oxford for a number of Dinner. I have worked with the Bursar’s tables rather than in Exam Schools and
years before joining the University’s Office to make sure our students have have said goodbye to their friends and
Humanities Division. I really enjoyed the financial support they need. I have tutors over Microsoft Teams. I know that
teaching and knew that I wanted to worked alongside tutors and our Chaplain we are all looking forward to the time
continue working with students, but I and Welfare Coordinator to help students when we can invite them back to College
also began taking on roles that focused who were struggling with pastoral and celebrate their success in person.
more on policy and found these very issues and relied on the compassion
rewarding. The position of Senior and cool-heads of our lodge staff in More recently my attention has turned
Tutor really appealed to me because it responding to emergencies. I have enjoyed to planning for the coming academic
combined these two aspects, working meeting with our alumni to discuss ways year, which will be like no other before
closely with students and tutors while of ensuring that we as a College can it. The College is expecting that the
also making sure that we have the continue to educate the most talented overwhelming majority of our new and
best structures in place for promoting and able students, whatever their financial continuing students will be in residence
academic success. background. In each of these contexts I in Oxford next year and will receive a
have been struck by the care and hard mixture of online and in-person teaching.
My first year has been one of two halves. work that the Fellows, staff, and students One of the great strengths of the tutorial
I spent my first months as Senior Tutor put into the College’s shared purpose. system is that it offers great flexibility to
learning about the College and how both tutors and students and this means
it works and getting to grips with the These qualities have also been essential that we are able to adapt ourselves to the
different jobs that the Senior Tutor does. in helping us meet the great challenges demands of socially distanced teaching.
The second half of my first year was that the second half of this year has The ramifications of this are broad and
spent trying to make sure that our tutors presented. The outbreak of coronavirus we are having to think creatively about
and students had the support that they and the move to remote teaching and how to use the space available to us.
needed to meet the unique challenges examination in Trinity term meant that I The College will soon look very different;
that the pandemic has presented. have spent a good deal of time thinking as I write, temporary room dividers and
about how we can reformulate the highly Perspex screens are being installed in the
At Lincoln, the role of Senior Tutor is very personalised and intimate tutorial into College Library so as to allow students to
varied and encompasses the role of Tutor something that can be delivered online. return safely to working there.
for Graduates and Tutor for Admissions. A very important part of this has been
In short, I look after the academic life of to make sure that tutors and students Although it may take some time before I
the College, from the point at which a have the practical tools they need to get to meet our incoming undergraduate
school student thinks about making an study and teach from home. Early in the and graduate Freshers in person, I look
application for an undergraduate place, Easter vacation we surveyed all students, forward to welcoming them and all of
right up to when a student graduates with asking for information about their needs. our returning students to the College
a doctoral degree. Because the College’s Our IT Manager immediately got to this October. Next year will have its
main purpose is academic, I’m involved in work, sending out laptops to students challenges, but if this last year is anything
almost every aspect of College life and so who didn’t have a computer at home to go by, our strong sense of community
I spent my first months at Lincoln getting and noise-cancelling headphones to will help us to overcome them.
to know the different members of our those who didn’t have a quiet place to
community. For example, I have celebrated work. Our Schools Liaison Officer began Dr Lydia Matthews
academic successes with our students tracking down venues where students Senior Tutor
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I have enjoyed meeting with our alumni to discuss ways of ensuring that we as a College
can continue to educate the most talented and able students, whatever their financial
background. In each of these contexts I have been struck by the care and hard work that
the Fellows, staff, and students put into the College’s shared purpose.
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Dr John Vakonakis has been Tutorial Fellow in
Biochemistry at Lincoln since 2013. Much of John’s
research has focused on the malaria parasite and how it modifies
the human cells it invades. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, John has
been involved with ‘COVID Moonshot’, a collaboration with other
researchers to identify drug-like molecules that might block
the replication of the virus.
The Covid-19 pandemic has upended Asia, 2002) and MERS (Middle East, 2012) Effective drugs against SARS-CoV-2 that
all our lives in 2020, and caused ushered us into the era of pathogenic could be used in treating Covid-19 are
incalculable human and financial costs. human coronaviruses, and accelerated sorely lacking and, along with anti-
In just a short period between March research efforts to understand these viral vaccines, are necessary tools for
and July, over 10 million Covid-19 cases organisms. permanently ending this pandemic.
have been confirmed worldwide and Drugs are effective when they
more than 500,000 deaths have been Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, strongly attack their intended target,
reported. Considering how many cases are composed of a spherical ‘shell’ of such as a specific viral protein, while
go undiagnosed, these statistics suggest proteins and lipids approximately 150 simultaneously ignoring the thousands
Covid-19 may cause more deaths than billionths of a metre in diameter, which and thousands of other proteins
any other infectious disease in 2020. protects the virus’ genetic material and present in human cells. To achieve this
helps the virus attach to cells, primarily combination of potency and specificity,
Covid-19 is caused by a new virus in the in the lungs. Following attachment, the drugs, which are chemical molecules
coronavirus family, designated as SARS- virus enters the cell where its genetic much smaller than a protein, are
CoV-2. Coronaviruses infecting humans material is ‘translated’ into all the protein designed to fit as closely and neatly as
are by no means new to science, with components the virus needs to make possible to their intended target; literally,
the first two such viruses identified over more copies of itself. A peculiarity of the chemical equivalent of designing
50 years ago. However, as these original coronaviruses is that most of these protein the perfect key for a specific lock. If the
coronaviruses did not cause disease any components are not made as functional key does not fit the lock well, it will not
more severe than the common cold, units outright; rather, the virus makes a turn it; the drug will not be effective
research on them was seen as a niche single large poly-protein that needs to in stopping the virus. But if the key fits
pursuit; indeed, the first international be cut into smaller, functional pieces. many locks, the system is not secure; the
conference on coronaviruses, held in 1980 This step, of cutting the poly-protein drug may attack human proteins and be
at Würzburg, Germany, was attended by into pieces, is absolutely crucial for viral toxic to health.
just 60 people! Fortunately for our current reproduction and, thus, offers a target for
predicament, the outbreaks of SARS (East drugs to stop the virus in its tracks. To walk the narrow path between these
two cases we need to be able to see
Molecule x0434 what the lock and keys look like, which
in the context of proteins and drugs
is the preserve of structural biology.
Structural biology methods, such as X-ray
crystallography, electron microscopy, and
nuclear magnetic resonance, ‘magnify’
proteins and drugs for us to extremely
high detail; enough to see the placement
J Fig 2: Example of NMR data used to assess
binding of chemical molecules to Mpro. The
hydrogens of molecule x0434 give just NMR
‘noise’ (green line) when Mpro is not present in
the sample. In contrast, the same hydrogens
give signal ‘peaks’ (red line) in samples of
8ppm Hydrogen frequency 6ppm x0434 with Mpro, when there is binding.
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J Fig 1: Three-dimensional view of the Mpro To answer this question, my group used What then is the greatest danger
surface, with the area of Mpro responsible for nuclear magnetic resonance experiments that would prevent such treatments
cutting the poly-protein coloured in blue.
that can measure how well chemical from emerging? Very briefly, lack of
Molecule x0434 (beige spheres) fits in the
contours of this Mpro surface as ‘key to a lock’, molecules bind to proteins in liquid perseverance. Taking a lead from for-
but with lots of room for improvement. conditions, similar to those found inside profit companies, academic research
cells. Surprisingly, we saw that out of is increasingly tuned to short-term
over 30 ‘hits’ to Mpro observed in the outcomes where ‘impact’, preferably in
of each individual atom within these initial X-ray crystallography work, just monetary terms, can be immediately
molecules. Furthermore, they help four chemical molecules bound Mpro demonstrated. Niche pursuits, such as the
us observe how drugs fit to proteins, strongly in liquids [3]. The lack of strong original coronavirus work, are de-funded
thereby inspiring ways by which we can binding by the rest of these molecules out of existence. Following the original
modify these drugs, adding or removing suggests that their fit to Mpro is relatively SARS coronavirus outbreak in 2002, 14
atoms at will, to engineer a better fit. poor, and so they may make for poor different promising chemical molecules
starting points for drugs. Knowing were identified that could block cutting
This, in a nutshell, is the aim of the COVID this we can thus avoid a large number of the viral poly-protein into functional
Moonshot project [1]: to design a perfect of potentially non-productive drug- units; none of these 14 molecules were
drug-key to fit an essential viral-lock. design avenues, thereby concentrating followed on towards drugs when the
We wish to do so as quickly as possible, and speeding up our efforts to find an 2002 outbreak fizzled out, not even after
ideally achieving a first drug candidate effective chemical molecule against the MERS outbreak served as a ‘heads up’
within nine months – an unprecedented SARS-CoV-2. in 2012. This failure of imagination has
speed up of effort. To that end, research robbed us of having a coronavirus drug ‘in
groups from the US, Israel and the UK, Of course, this work was just the start the cupboard’ that could stem the current
including multiple laboratories in Oxford, of our efforts. Since then the COVID epidemic. Let us hope that lessons
formed a spontaneous collaboration Moonshot project has tested, modified learned in 2020 will mean that in the
to share ideas, tools and resources. We and iterated on hundreds of chemical future the importance of niche pursuits is
use cutting-edge tools from chemical, molecules potentially targeting Mpro. In appreciated, and funding follows.
structural and computational biology, our quest for effective drug-candidates,
make all data available immediately we are now close to transitioning from Dr John Vakonakis
to the public without considering IP as experiments performed in test tubes to Tutorial Fellow in Biochemistry
to benefit parallel drug-design efforts assays of promising chemical molecules
undertaken elsewhere, and harness the in cells and on the virus itself, prior References:
1. COVID Moonshot: https://postera.ai/covid
power of crowdsourcing for both funding to testing the effectiveness of these
and suggestions on how our drug-design molecules in animals. Together with 2. Identification of chemical molecules
binding to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro: https://www.
efforts can proceed. With our designed many more Covid-19 drug and vaccine
diamond.ac.uk/covid-19/for-scientists/
drugs we target the essential means by efforts that have sprung up worldwide Main-protease-structure-and-XChem.html
which SARS-CoV-2 cuts its poly-protein in the last few months, there are good
3. Assessing the strength of binding
into functional units, and in doing so we reasons for optimism that one or more by chemical molecule to SARS-
hope to prevent the virus from copying of these avenues will yield effective CoV-2 Mpro: https://www.biorxiv.org/
itself. treatment options. content/10.1101/2020.06.17.156679v1
The tool the virus uses to cut its poly-
protein is an enzyme, called the main
protease or Mpro. Pioneering X-ray
crystallography work done at the
Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire,
in March 2020, gave us detailed views
of Mpro with many chemical molecules
bound to it [2]. These views provided
COVID Moonshot with multiple starting
‘hits’ from which to tweak molecules
to improve their fit to Mpro and stop the
protease from helping viral reproduction,
but there was a question: which of the
different molecules that bound Mpro did
so strongly, which of these ‘hits’ were
the best starting points for drug-design
efforts?
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On being a Darby Fellow
Dr Sam Brewitt-Taylor was Darby Fellow in History between 2015 and 2020. His first book,
Christian Radicalism in the Church of England and the Invention of the British Sixties, 1957-1970,
was published by OUP in 2018.
Ever since I arrived at Lincoln, I struggled College to go into debt. One of the Fellows ‘But what is it like?’ my family would
to explain to people what I did without had to be from Oxfordshire; another ask, and I told them that during term
getting sucked into a convoluted from the archdeaconry of Stow, or, failing time it’s like being a don with L-plates:
explanation of what a Darby Fellowship that, the diocese of Lincoln; and the third looking over Perry and Lucy’s shoulders,
is. The question is more difficult than it was for people from Leicestershire. The seeing how they do it, and trying to go
looks because Darbys are an institution geographical restrictions were abolished and do likewise. I think the most striking
of Lincoln’s own invention. ‘It’s like a in 1856. I began to breathe a little: I was thing I’ve learned as a Darby is quite how
research fellowship with teaching,’ I free to tell people I’m from Worcestershire, much institutional memory sits behind
would begin, hopefully. ‘It goes for five but I was no closer to raising my game in a successful history school: the extensive
years. It’s less than a tutorial fellowship small-talk. calibration of the course, the careful
but more than a stipendiary lectureship… selection of the brightest candidates,
you have to sit on Governing Body.’ When talking to people within Lincoln, and the detailed list (never written down,
Usually people’s eyes had glazed over by of course, it was always much easier. of course) of which outside tutors are
this point, so I’d try to summarise – ‘I’m Perry Gauci is the VHH Green Fellow, and reliable and which are not.
Lincoln’s Career Development Fellow in works on the eighteenth century; Lucy
History’ – to which the reply was usually, Wooding is the Langford Fellow, and an In the vacations, by contrast, the experience
‘What’s a Career Development Fellow?’ early modernist. I’m the third musketeer, is quite different: this is the time Darbys
I liked to say; I’m the modernist, I spend can focus on their research. The life of
In desperation I consulted the College’s most of my time giving tutorials in early-career academics these days is
official history, Vivian Green’s The British and European history from 1815. A usually consumed with ‘para-research’ –
Commonwealth of Lincoln College 1427- closely guarded secret, which I only fully that is, writing grant-applications, applying
1977: Perry Gauci had presented me with realised after having been elected, was for short-term jobs, activities in which you
a copy in my first week, announcing that that the list of professional historians promise to do research but which take
no historian’s bookshelf was complete who were once Darby Fellows is long so much time that you never get round
without it. Three Darby Fellowships were and intimidating: Susan Brigden, Jane to actually doing any. A Darby Fellowship
established in 1537, I learned, and the first Garnett, Richard Drayton, Matthew frees you from all this: it gives you the
Fellows were appointed in 1538, although Grimley, David Priestland, Rob Saunders, gift of time. My book was reviewed in the
Darby’s trustees didn’t cough up the and Alana Harris, and those are just the TLS and won a first-book prize, and this
promised funds until 1546, causing the ones I can remember. was largely because Lincoln gave me the
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leisure to write it slowly. This was a massive into a welcoming community. The life
privilege; thinking slowly is crucial for good of a humanities PhD student is often
history-writing. In history as in many other lonely, and most of it takes place in a
fields, the best books are the ones that library. There are some colleges which
challenge assumptions so embedded that are clever but not nice, and others (not
nobody else could see them, and it’s only saying which, of course) which are nice
possible to spot those assumptions when but not clever, but Lincoln possesses the
you have the freedom to take your time. happy knack of recruiting Fellows and
students who are both, and this makes it
Closely related is the fact that a Darby a peculiarly pleasant place to spend one’s
gives you the gift of stability. The UK time. I have many happy memories of my
humanities sector stumbles from crisis to time at Lincoln, from teasing other junior
crisis, and the prospects for early-career Fellows over lunch, to Perry and Lucy’s
academics are proportionately bleak. 67% annual history trips (usually to places
of PhD students want an academic career, that involve ice-cream). Above all, Lincoln
the HEPI recently found, but only 30% are history students ask the best questions.
still in academia three years after they In my final week of tutorial teaching,
graduate. The frequent necessity for young a student was sitting in a Disciplines
scholars to move around the country doing research expenses, an institutional identity, of History tutorial and had a light-bulb
a succession of short-term jobs hinders and a room of one’s own. For four years, at moment. ‘Actually,’ he said, ‘the concept of
family life, or indeed any kind of life. I have least, it gives one very lucky early-career modernity doesn’t make sense, does it?’ ‘I
friends who have clocked up hundreds of researcher the luxury of knowing what he can depart in peace,’ I said to myself. ‘My
miles combining part-time jobs at different or she will be doing in twelve months’ time. work here is done.’
institutions. In this context, a Darby
Fellowship is a refuge in the storm. The Finally, and perhaps most importantly in Dr Sam Brewitt-Taylor
College provides accommodation, meals, experiential terms, a Darby is a passport Darby Fellow in History
A closely guarded secret, which I only fully realised after having been elected, was
that the list of professional historians who were once Darby Fellows is long and
intimidating...
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In search of respect
Dr Gabrielle Watson joined Lincoln College in 2019 as the Shaw
Foundation Fellow in Law following a Leverhulme Early Career
Fellowship in the Faculty of Law at Oxford. She works at the
intersection of criminal law, criminal justice, and jurisprudence.
In prisons, respect is a mere slogan. The
real value and potential of respect as
Photo credit: Yingko/Shutterstock.com
a critical and regulative ideal has been
diminished by the tendency to treat it as
peripheral to practical concerns such as
target setting, the maintenance of order,
and deterrence.
What is respect?
The book begins by attending to the some suggestions: among them, the
deceptively simple question: what is idea that respect is both an act and an
respect? It turns first to philosophy with attitude, that it is ideally reciprocal, that
its rich Kantian literature on the topic, it occurs at both the individual and the
and its core claim that every human institutional level, and is the primary
being has a claim to respect no matter means by which to acknowledge a
what: respect need not be negotiated and person’s intrinsic worth.
cannot be forfeited. But contemporary
philosophical accounts complicate Unsavoury punishment
matters by identifying respect in a To write a book on respect is an
number of ways: as a mode of behaviour, ambitious task, and I spend a good deal
a form of treatment, a kind of valuing, a of time boundary-drawing in order to
My first book, Respect and Criminal type of attention, a motive, an attitude, render it manageable. Perhaps the most
Justice, was published in June 2020 a feeling, a tribute, a principle, a duty, an striking illustration of respect – or lack
by Oxford University Press. It is the entitlement, and a moral virtue. thereof – in the book is to be found in
newest addition to the Clarendon a case study of prison food from the
Studies in Criminology series: the If philosophers cannot agree, it should eighteenth century to the present day.
successor to the Cambridge Studies in come as no surprise that our prisons –
Criminology series, inaugurated by Sir notoriously pragmatic in their approach The ritualised preparation and
Leon Radzinowicz – the ‘founding father’ – have glossed over the meaning of provision of prison food is imbued with
of British criminology – and JWC Turner respect. Yet empty appeals to respect considerable symbolic power, and its
80 years ago. distort as much as they communicate. pivotal role in shaping the daily prison
When there is a lack of specificity in experience has been understated.
The book offers the first academic study understanding and giving effect to
of ‘respect’ in criminal justice in England respect, it does much to magnify the The dominant narrative in historical
and Wales, where the value is elusive but status inequalities that have come to accounts of prison mealtime is that,
of persisting significance. In this piece, I define imprisonment. It also shows scant pre-twentieth century, food was intended
reflect on the state of our prisons. regard for the fact that respect – or lack to punish, debilitate, and degrade. The
thereof – tends to be felt more keenly by eighteenth century may have epitomised
Owing to some sustained – but ultimately ethnic minority groups and those whose the most indecent of prison conditions,
unsuccessful – reform efforts in recent sense of belonging and social possibility where a restricted diet was an explicit
decades, prisons regularly appeal to in society are precarious. feature of punishment. Part of the
the word ‘respect’, proclaiming it as a reformative work of John Howard was to
core value in official discourse. Yet, on As part of a reform agenda for the offer an incisive critique of the practice of
closer examination, the modern prison’s 2020s, our prisons must be explicit in charging prisoners for meals, proposing
relationship to respect is not as clear-cut their definition of respect if they are instead that they be provided with a
as institutional documentation would to proceed according to – let alone daily allowance of food. Nonetheless, his
have us believe. realise – the value. The book offers vision for respect was strictly minimalist:
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‘I am not an advocate for an extravagant brought it into line with a society that activity, and seemingly intractable
and profuse allowance to prisoners. considered itself to be civilised. problems over repeated inspections. At
I plead only for necessaries, in such a ‘squalid’ and ‘fundamentally unsafe’
moderate quantity, as may support In the decades that followed, prison HMP Liverpool, inspectors found ‘some
health and strength for labour.’ (1777) mealtime was visibly transformed. of the worst conditions [they] had ever
Prisoners were given increased seen.’ An impoverished regime, many cells
By the beginning of the nineteenth involvement in menu design, and meals lacked even the basic requirements for
century, the experience of imprisonment were gradually made available to those health and hygiene and the leadership
remained unimpeachably severe. Prison with religious, ethnic, cultural, and and management focus on respect was
meals had seen no real improvement and medical requirements. However, there is ‘inadequate at every level.’ It appears,
consisted chiefly of bread and thin gruel compelling evidence to suggest that, in then, that respect remains somewhat of
or broths. There was cause for cautious prisons in England and Wales, food – if an elusive promise.
optimism, however, following the only implicitly – continues to form part
introduction of prison inspections in 1835. of a penal strategy. Subtle institutional Although respect is a precious commodity,
Prison diet became a national scandal attempts at degradation through food in our prisons, it need not be utopian.
and inspectors made an explicit call for persist, and daily meals serve as painful It simply requires a degree of mutual
food to no longer act as an instrument and periodic bodily expressions of the understanding when it is owed to, called
of punishment. Advances were made power that the institution exerts over for, deserved, elicited, or claimed by
in the quantity – if not the quality – of the individual. another. With a sense of modest realism,
prison food but an instrumentalist the book sets out those challenges in
line of thought endured, in part, due The National Audit Office has, in recent detail – and envisages the advances that
to widespread public support for a years, noted concerns among prisoners could be made – in inscribing respectful
retributive approach and the prevailing that standards for the storage and relations between state and subject.
conservative ideology of the period. preparation of ethnic and cultural food
were not met consistently. It seems that Dr Gabrielle Watson
By the mid-nineteenth century, prison prisoners’ lack of trust in this regard was Shaw Foundation Fellow in Law
food had once again been called into not unfounded. The Office has confirmed
question, with leading physicians of several cases in which prisoners had Respect and Criminal
the time recommending a substantial signed up in good faith to receive ethnic Justice (2020). Oxford
reduction in portion sizes on the grounds meals, which were later found to have and New York: Oxford
that the food provided was excessive been unethically prepared. Four out of University Press.
and insufficiently penal. To provide food sixteen prisons were unable to store 256 pp.
sufficient to ensure good health would halal meat separately from other meat
be to provide conditions of relative and, in eleven prisons, kitchen equipment
comfort, and the extremely poor with a intended for those with Muslim diets
positive incentive to commit crime. was not labelled separately.
Integral to more progressive Such incidents make clear that, in practice,
developments was the commissioning respect is not always reciprocal, whereby
of a Departmental Committee on Diets prisoners do not – even cannot – respect
in 1925. Following the Committee’s those responsible for preparing their
investigation into prison food, the food. When prisoners are denied ethically
motivation to provide a nutritious diet prepared ethnic meals, they are likely to
to inmates was firmly established. The become too distracted by the conditions
following year, the Committee made of their confinement to respond respect
further calls for a ‘more balanced and fully to prison authorities who so
varied diet’ which included ‘the provision unethically denied them respect.
of regular vegetables’, the replacement
of prison ‘cans’ with aluminium trays and The elusive promise
utensils, and opportunities for prisoners On 11 July 2018, HM Inspectorate of
to dine in association in the hope that it Prisons for England and Wales published
might cultivate in them a sense of self- its Annual Report, in which it documented
respect. These reforms were indicative two unannounced inspections that
of a newly configured relationship caused ‘deep concern.’ HMP Wormwood
between the state and its subjects, and Scrubs suffered from ‘appalling’ living
a sustained attempt to afford prison conditions, violence, an almost complete
mealtime a visibility and form that lack of rehabilitative or resettlement
College & Fellows | 11LINCOLN IMPRINT | 2020
College & Fellows
Visiting Lincoln:
Life as a Newton
Abraham Professor
Dr Alan Garfinkel is a Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)
and Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University
of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research uses
mathematical models as a scientific research tool, specifically
when it comes to understanding cardiac arrhythmias. Alan
joined Lincoln in September 2019 as the Newton Abraham
Visiting Professor, and also holds a post in the Department of
Computer Science. In this article, Alan looks back on the past
year at Lincoln.
I arrived as Newton Abraham Visiting Professor We showed There is nothing back home that even remotely
this past September. The Newton Abraham trust approaches this. Most other places, whether you
was established by Sir Edward Penley Abraham that fibrillation are a starting junior professor or a senior holder
(‘EPA’), who worked on the development of was a form of of a titled chair, your life is the same: drive to the
penicillin, and later, working with Guy Newton, office, work with students and colleagues, usually
developed the antibiotic cephalosporin, still spatio-temporal eat lunch at the desk or at a nearby stand, teach
in use today. The income from cephalosporin chaos, an or meet with students again, and then drive
funded a visiting professorship, which includes a home. That’s it.
Professorial Fellowship at Lincoln. orderly disorder
brought on by I immensely enjoyed the collegiality of college life
Before my arrival, I had visited Oxford a few times, (until the Grinch of Covid stole it). I’ve made good
but I had never experienced college life. I was
pathological friends at Lincoln, and plan to keep them up. I’ve
a little stunned to find that ‘college life’ meant oscillations also begun a couple of research collaborations
that I had been invited to a wonderful dinner with Lincoln faculty members. I have an ongoing
party every night, with fascinating historians and
(think Romeo conversation about mathematics in science with
physicists, biologists and Shakespeare scholars. and Juliet). Paul Stavrinou (Tutorial Fellow in Engineering
Science), and some ongoing research topics
with DPhil students and postdocs that I’ve met
through Jordan Raff (César Milstein Professor of
Molecular Cancer Biology) and Matthew Freeman
(Fellow and Professor of Pathology), both of whom
carry on the strong connections between Lincoln
College and the Dunn School of Pathology.
The highlights of my year at Lincoln began with
an invitation from the Senior Tutor to give a
Conversazione, which was entitled ‘Mathematical
Models in Medicine, Ecology, Social Systems, and
Romantic Relationships’. I showed how dynamical
models, couched in differential equations, can
give us insights into the behavior of insulin and
glucose in the body, or predators and prey in
Fig 1: If Romeo’s love makes Juliet’s love increase, but Juliet’s love makes Romeo’s love an ecosystem, or, for that matter, a couple, call
decrease, the two will oscillate romantically, forever. them Romeo and Juliet, who attract and/or repel
12 | College & FellowsLINCOLN IMPRINT | 2020
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each other (see fig. 1). One of my big goals is to 100k
bring an understanding of dynamical systems
and modeling to audiences that do not consider 80k
themselves ‘maths wizards’.
Susceptible
In Hilary term, I was privileged to work with
Exposed
60k
Infected
Populations
Waqas Mirza (2016), Angeliki Myrillas-Brazeau Medically symptomatic
(2018), and Nuno Pereira (2018) on the Lincoln Recovered
Leads seminar starring Lincoln alumnus Adam 40k
Camilletti (2002), who is the Engineering
Manager for the Exomars Rover Vehicle, a joint
0k
UK/European space programme. The session,
entitled ‘Who needs Space?’ discussed the
terrestrial benefits of space exploration. 0k
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Also in Hilary, I gave a course in Computer Time (days)
Science on dynamical systems modeling, for
DPhil students in Physiology, Zoology, and other Fig 2: Time course of various variables in a simulated epidemic.
Biological Sciences. We were thrilled that 51
students ended up taking the course, parameter values like ‘social
which demonstrated to us that distancing’, ‘recovery time’, etc.
there is a very strong market for and see how they affect the
dynamics and modeling ideas in course of the epidemic (see
the Biological Sciences. fig.2).
By the beginning of Trinity, We were (just) able to give
we were all, of course, in my Newton Abraham
lockdown, but that didn’t Lecture on 12 March 2020,
stop Angeliki Myrillas- the last day before the
Brazeau from organising University lockdown,
four remote sessions of among the dinosaurs at the
Lincoln Leads (‘Lockdown Natural History Museum.
Edition’, with me as the host), The talk, called ‘Medicine
featuring four ways of looking and Physiology in the Age
at coronavirus; we considered of Dynamics’ was recorded,
the pandemic as seen through the and is available at https://
lenses of Literature, Medicine, Politics modelinginbiology.github.io. In the
and what we called ‘Cognitive Epidemiology’ lecture, I talked about applications of
(recognising that, as Angeliki put it, there dynamics to physiology, especially in
are really two epidemics, the virus itself and my research on ventricular fibrillation,
also the spread of ideas about the virus, equally the leading cause of Sudden Cardiac
important to the epidemiology). Death. We showed that fibrillation was
a form of spatio-temporal chaos, an orderly
During the early days of the lockdown, the disorder brought on by pathological oscillations
Fig 3: Ventricular
Computer Science Department asked me to set Fibrillation (VF) in a
(think Romeo and Juliet) in the electrophysiology
up a page for school-age students who were supercomputer model of cardiac tissue. This is the research that I’m
interested in understanding how mathematical of the heart. The colours continuing to pursue with the Computational
and computational modeling was being used show the voltage at Cardiovascular Science Group in Computer
to design strategies for intervention against the each point in the heart, Science (see fig.3).
with red being highest
pandemic. and blue being lowest.
In the normal heart, a My time at Lincoln has been memorable for me. I
The resulting page (Modeling the Spread of single wave of excitation will be spending a large part of this coming year,
Covid-19 at http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/innovation/ excites the heart and 2020-21, in Oxford, and am looking forward to
covid-19/) featured a dynamical model of the creates contraction, but renewing friendships and collaborations.
in VF, multiple waves of
interactions of populations of Susceptible, excitation (red areas)
Exposed, Infected, Medically Symptomatic, course chaotically Dr Alan Garfinkel
and Recovered people. The viewer can change through the tissue. Newton Abraham Visiting Professor
College & Fellows | 13College & Fellows
Introducing: the Lodge
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and Lincoln College closed, the only staff who remained on site were
the porters. In this interview, Joe Tripkovic (Lodge Manager) and some of his team describe their
experiences of a college under lockdown and how they were impacted, both personally and professionally.
Could you tell us a little about your Peter Koyio – I am originally from Kenya, and postal deliveries. Helping with any
backgrounds and how long you have and I have been working as a night welfare issues and monitoring security
been at Lincoln? porter at the Main Lodge for seven years. within the College grounds keeps us
Bob Weatherhead – I have worked at I combine my Lincoln role with other busy too.
Lincoln for nearly seven years, six years ad hoc roles within, and outside, the
on a casual basis. Prior to that I worked University. In the last few months, I have The College closed in March due to the
for thirteen years in a senior position in been helping with distributing Personal Covid-19 pandemic. What was it like in
the corporate world for a major market Protective Equipment (PPE) around the week leading up the closure?
research group. With only three years to University hospitals. I also do some pro B.W. – The week leading up to closure
retirement, I think I have finally found my bono work at the Detention Centres, and was surreal. No one knew what to
true vocation. at the Citizens Advice Bureau. All this expect with regard to restrictions on
helps to fund my legal studies that I am movement and the like, hence three of
Cristiano Da Silva – I was born in Brazil. I currently pursuing. I hope to qualify as a us moving into Bear Lane. There was a
am half Brazilian and half Italian. I came lawyer at some point. lot of palpable anxiety around; it was as
to England in 2003, joined Lincoln College if the dystopian nightmares of fiction
in 2014, working in the Buttery, and since What do your roles normally involve? had come to life. This was particularly
2017 have been working in the Lodge. C.D.S. – Normally our roles would involve the case when a colleague contracted
reception duties for the Lodge, fielding Covid-19 and was hospitalised. The
Joe Tripkovic – I have been at Lincoln for phone calls to relevant departments, empty streets were depressing, and it
five years after a lengthy police career dealing with any general enquires, and was worrying to see supermarkets with
and a few years chauffeuring. receiving parcels from the couriers lots of empty shelves.
Joe Tripkovic Bob Weatherhead Cristiano Da Silva Peter Koyio
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C.D.S. – The week leading up to the P.K. – I have now returned to work since What has the College been like during the
pandemic was a bit concerning. recovering from Covid-19, but am more past few months?
Everybody was unsure about was cautious than ever before. Together with B.W. – From being a veritable hive of activity,
happening or going to happen within my colleagues in the Lodge, we have the College was suddenly very subdued
College, but in the Lodge we carried on, kept up our cleaning every day: sanitising and it was depressing to see such a fine
looking after our students who were everywhere and everything around the medieval building and excellent centre of
self-isolating, and those still in residence. Lodge, and wearing PPE where needed to learning become somewhat redundant.
We were also taking on new measures keep the College safe for our students and Indeed, it was possible to go through an
and procedures in order to prepare for staff. entire shift without interacting with anyone.
the difficult times ahead and to maintain On a physical level weeds proliferated and
safe practices within College. the creeper covered the Hall’s windows.
Out of crisis comes
P.K. – The Covid-19 pandemic hit us quite C.D.S. – Within the past few months, Oxford
suddenly and left us with very little opportunity. We have and the College have been like a ghost
room to plan. It was sad to see the term town; no one around, with Turl Street empty
end abruptly without us having time to
certainly had opportunities and no shops open. College has been empty,
say our usual goodbyes to our students, during the pandemic to very quiet and nature has taken over.
especially the finalists. I hope that
wherever they are, they are safe and well. examine how we operate... Some parts of College are starting to
re-open and we plan to have students in
Safe and well, unfortunately, is not what I residence in Michaelmas term. What are you
managed to be. I fell victim to Covid-19. It J.T. – Whoever would have thought we looking forward to most about the College
all started on 1 April 2020, when my body would need a ‘pandemic’ policy pulled reopening?
didn’t feel quite right. By midnight, I had from the dusty shelves of the College? Not B.W. – It may take years for things to get
excruciating aches and pains all over my me for sure! The planning for emergency back to normal, but I am looking forward
body and a headache that wouldn’t go responses in the College has moved to getting to know a new coterie of
away. I thought, as a precaution, I must forward greatly in the last two years, students; enjoying lunch in Hall; a pint or
self-isolate. I followed the NHS guidelines and business continuity was highlighted two in Deep Hall; and welcoming visitors
on what to do in self-isolation. I tried as an area we should all be aware of. and B&B and conference guests back to
to fight whatever it was for 11 days. By Working from home and remote access the College. I never thought I would miss
this time, I was struggling to move, and are now terms that roll off the tongue, chasing after tourists who had ventured
breathing was becoming difficult. I ended and everybody knows exactly what they into Grove, or other private areas, but I do. I
up at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. mean. Out of crisis comes opportunity. We am also looking forward to going home and
Blood tests and swabs confirmed that I have certainly had opportunities during sleeping in a double bed – I have fallen out
was indeed Covid-19 positive. I was later the pandemic to examine how we operate, of my student single twice!
discharged from hospital. It took about and now how we incorporate those
seven weeks in total to start regaining valuable experiences in to our working C.D.S. – Mostly I will be looking forward to
my strength and feeling normal again. methods in the future. Resilience for getting back to a sort of normal. A kind of
duties was key for the Lodge as we were normal College life, students around and
How have your roles changed during the totally committed to keeping both lodges the old busy times.
lockdown? working, with three members of the team
B.W. – The porters’ role changed in moving into College accommodation. What will you remember most from this
that we had to lift the spirits of those time?
students unable to get home, and ensure Personally, the pandemic meant I had J.T. – My lasting memory of the pandemic
the Lodge and immediate public areas to plan transport to and from work due will always be seeing our night porter
were regularly sanitised. We also had to to public transport restrictions. My wife Peter Koyio suffering so badly with
ensure those self-isolating were getting is a key worker in teaching, so we both Covid symptoms that he needed to be
fed and in as fine a fettle as could be in balanced a healthy regime with ensuring hospitalised. This was an all-time low for
the circumstances. we were available for work as much as us all, and in the wider College community.
possible. Community spirit has shone Peter, and all of us, were and still are so
C.D.S. – During the lockdown we have through for many, and we volunteered grateful for the many messages of goodwill
seen less mail and fewer parcels being to deliver prescriptions, shopping, and and support. The Lodge team truly stepped
delivered, as students are home and run errands for those shielding locally up to the plate by covering colleagues
office staff are working from home. So to us. Keeping a distance from family isolating with symptoms, sanitising
our roles have changed slightly, with an and particularly grandchildren proved common areas, and ensuring the College
increase in health and safety procedures, emotionally so difficult. Now, well, they’re remained safe and secure at a vulnerable
and also the security of our premises. back to wearing us out! time for so many. They are amazing people!
College & Fellows | 15You can also read
