'Time seems to bend in a curious way at this time of year in Oxford. Students describe this season as "Oxmas", celebrating Christmas still surrounded by their College friends, while the rest of us try to remain unstressed by remembering there is still "real" time to prepare for presents, cards, and meals. Oxmas this year included the traditional Advent Carol Service, the JCR and MCR Christmas Dinners, and that mysteriously named event, "Nepotists" – a tradition begun in the 1940s by a student who, having failed to be elected to any College society, founded the Nepotists Club with an invitation-only mulled wine and carols party. 'Many of you will have your own memories of this time of year in College. For me, this year’s celebrations carry special poignancy as my last as Master. So it was a reassuring reminder of Balliol’s capacity for reinvention that two new events were added to our calendar: "Straw and Order", a student Nativity Play featuring a power-struggle between the Donkeys and the Sheep; and a London Carol Service for alumni, family, and friends at St Lawrence Jewry. The College’s energy for celebration, alongside serious scholarship, clearly remains undimmed! 'Thank you so much for the support you have given the College over the past year. It is the essential foundation on which we build. Wherever you are, and whatever you may be celebrating over the holiday season, I wish you a peaceful and joyful time.'
Dame Helen Ghosh DCB, Master of Balliol |
