Derwent College
Encyclopedia
Derwent College is a college of the University of York
, one of the first two colleges (along with Langwith) to be opened following the university's inception. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II
on 22 October 1965. Derwent College is home to the University's Politics
and Philosophy
departments.
The college itself is on the fringe of the campus
, lying in the shadow of Heslington Hall close to the gazebo
and garden
s known collectively as The Quiet Place. Famous past members of the College include Greg Dyke
(politics alumnus and now University Chancellor
), Jung Chang
and Harry Enfield
.
, the snack bar and the drinks bar.
Club D, a popular student disco on campus is organised by Derwent JCRC
. This is held periodically at weekends during term time in Derwent bar and dining room.
Derwent College also hosts the annual Big-D (formerly known as Derwent BBQ) the biggest event on campus. It is an end of year event along the lines of Club D, but as the name suggests, it is on a larger scale. Taking up the whole area in and around the college, it is normally held on the final Thursday of the Summer term and has several rooms of music, several bars and food and activities outside. In the past there have been bouncy castles, bucking broncos, gyroscope
s, table tennis
, candy floss and hot dogs at the event.
Past acts to play in Derwent include Fenna Rhodes and Bruce from The X Factor
, and more recently Lil' Chris
, Boyd from Neighbours
and The Cheeky Girls
. In 2008 Pendulum
and Chesney Hawkes
played the event, followed by Simian Mobile Disco
, Scratch Perverts
and Utah Saints
in 2009. In 2010, Drum and Bass
bods Chase & Status
and electronic veterans Audio Bullys
were headliners.
Derwent has a Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) responsible for representing the interests of Derwemt students, and organising the event & welfare provision.
The Junior Common Room Committee is elected annually from the undergraduate populations, and consists of around 40 members. Details of the currently serving members of the JCRC are viewable at The Derwent JCRC Website, and historic members of the executive brange of the college's JCRC as set out in the constitution have included:
Block A is part of the main college building, being the northwest and northeast sides of a small quadrangle, with the administrative offices and JCR on the southeast. B Block is situated nearer Heslington Hall overlooking the University Lake. C and D Blocks are also located near Heslington Hall and also form a single separate building in most important respects. A concrete slab forming part of a covered walkway is the only actual connection between C block and the kitchen portion of the main college building.
The original college only had A, B, and C blocks. Block D was added a few years later on a different floor plan with comparatively small individual rooms, but a large central kitchen and eating area. The older blocks had little communal space but somewhat larger rooms.
There were also a small group of rooms known as "N Block" (N standing for nucleus) which are situated above the bar. Originally these were used for guest accommodation, however they have since been converted to offices now forming part of "the Philosophy corridor."
E and F Blocks form part of the Derwent-Langwith
. They are situated across the other side of University Road from the rest of the college, adjacent to Heslington
Church field. They are more recently brick-build accommodation and some of these rooms offer en-suite bathroom facilities.
Further to the main blocks, Derwent students are also accommodated in Eden's Court which is situated on Heslington Lane. Eden's court comprises 8 houses, each of 10 rooms with similar layout to those of Halifax College
. Eden's Court is jocularly referred to by the other blocks of Derwent as 'Shutter Island', due to its isolation in being situated nearer to Halifax College than the Derwent nucleus.
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, one of the first two colleges (along with Langwith) to be opened following the university's inception. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on 22 October 1965. Derwent College is home to the University's Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
departments.
The college itself is on the fringe of the campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
, lying in the shadow of Heslington Hall close to the gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
and garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s known collectively as The Quiet Place. Famous past members of the College include Greg Dyke
Greg Dyke
Gregory "Greg" Dyke is a British media executive, journalist and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing 'tabloid' television to British broadcasting, and reviving the ratings of TV-am...
(politics alumnus and now University Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
), Jung Chang
Jung Chang
Jung Chang is a Chinese-born British writer now living in London, best known for her family autobiography Wild Swans, selling over 10 million copies worldwide but banned in the People's Republic of China....
and Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
.
College facilities and events
Facilities in Derwent include the Computer Services class rooms and computer rooms, the Junior Common room and Derwent bar and dining room. During the day there is the main dining roomDining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
, the snack bar and the drinks bar.
Club D, a popular student disco on campus is organised by Derwent JCRC
JCRC
Jewish Community Relations Council is a generic term for local public affairs organizations which operate under the Jewish Council for Public Affairs umbrella organization.-See also:* Jewish Council for Public Affairs...
. This is held periodically at weekends during term time in Derwent bar and dining room.
Derwent College also hosts the annual Big-D (formerly known as Derwent BBQ) the biggest event on campus. It is an end of year event along the lines of Club D, but as the name suggests, it is on a larger scale. Taking up the whole area in and around the college, it is normally held on the final Thursday of the Summer term and has several rooms of music, several bars and food and activities outside. In the past there have been bouncy castles, bucking broncos, gyroscope
Gyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
s, table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, candy floss and hot dogs at the event.
Past acts to play in Derwent include Fenna Rhodes and Bruce from The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, and more recently Lil' Chris
Lil' Chris
Christopher James Hardman , more commonly known by his stage name Lil' Chris, is an English singer-songwriter, DJ and television personality.-Rock School:...
, Boyd from Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
and The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls are a pop duo consisting of twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia, from Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania, but based in Britain. After appearing as auditionees in Popstars: The Rivals, they achieved success in the charts with four top ten hits between 2002 and 2004...
. In 2008 Pendulum
Pendulum
A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced from its resting equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward the equilibrium position...
and Chesney Hawkes
Chesney Hawkes
Chesney Lee Hawkes , is an English pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actor. He is best known for his 1991 single "The One and Only", which topped the charts in the UK and reached the Top 10 in the U.S.-Life and career:...
played the event, followed by Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco are a United Kingdom-based production and remix team formed in 2005 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production...
, Scratch Perverts
Scratch Perverts
The Scratch Perverts are a collective of turntablist DJs from London, formed in 1996 by Tony Vegas, Prime Cuts and DJ Renegade.-Biography:The Scratch Perverts originally consisted of 4 members; Tony Vegas, Renegade, First Rate and Mr Thing. The Scratch Perverts later expanded to an 8-member...
and Utah Saints
Utah Saints
Utah Saints is a dance band based in Leeds, England. The music is produced by Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt, who are joined on-stage by other musicians whenever the band plays live...
in 2009. In 2010, Drum and Bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
bods Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status are an electronic music production duo from London consisting of Saul Milton and Will Kennard. MC Rage & Andy Gangadeen also make up the live band.-2003-2005:...
and electronic veterans Audio Bullys
Audio Bullys
Audio Bullys are an electronic music group from London, consisting of Simon Franks and Tom Dinsdale. The group were once managed by DJ and presenter George Lamb....
were headliners.
Junior Common Room
All undergraduate residents of Derwent College are members of the Junior Common Room, and continue to remain members throughout their time at the university.Derwent has a Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) responsible for representing the interests of Derwemt students, and organising the event & welfare provision.
The Junior Common Room Committee is elected annually from the undergraduate populations, and consists of around 40 members. Details of the currently serving members of the JCRC are viewable at The Derwent JCRC Website, and historic members of the executive brange of the college's JCRC as set out in the constitution have included:
| Year | Chair | Vice Chairs |
| 2011 | Matt Jenkins | Greg Brocklehurst Ben Woolley |
| 2010 | Holly Burton | Flick Saunders Emma Warren |
| 2009 | Joe Rankin | Anna Claire-Younger |
Accommodation blocks
Derwent College has six accommodation blocks, named A, B, C, D, E, and F. Blocks A, B, C and D are standard university accommodation. They were built in the CLASP system, invented by Andrew Derbyshire, consisting of prefabricated concrete blocks and panels.Block A is part of the main college building, being the northwest and northeast sides of a small quadrangle, with the administrative offices and JCR on the southeast. B Block is situated nearer Heslington Hall overlooking the University Lake. C and D Blocks are also located near Heslington Hall and also form a single separate building in most important respects. A concrete slab forming part of a covered walkway is the only actual connection between C block and the kitchen portion of the main college building.
The original college only had A, B, and C blocks. Block D was added a few years later on a different floor plan with comparatively small individual rooms, but a large central kitchen and eating area. The older blocks had little communal space but somewhat larger rooms.
There were also a small group of rooms known as "N Block" (N standing for nucleus) which are situated above the bar. Originally these were used for guest accommodation, however they have since been converted to offices now forming part of "the Philosophy corridor."
E and F Blocks form part of the Derwent-Langwith
Langwith College
Langwith College is a college of the University of York, home to the English and Educational Studies departments and the first college to be opened following the university's foundation in 1963...
. They are situated across the other side of University Road from the rest of the college, adjacent to Heslington
Heslington
Heslington is a suburban village and civil parish within the City of York, in North Yorkshire, England, south-east of the centre of York. Prior to 1974, it was a village in the Derwent Rural District, which was part of the East Riding of Yorkshire...
Church field. They are more recently brick-build accommodation and some of these rooms offer en-suite bathroom facilities.
Further to the main blocks, Derwent students are also accommodated in Eden's Court which is situated on Heslington Lane. Eden's court comprises 8 houses, each of 10 rooms with similar layout to those of Halifax College
Halifax College
Halifax College is the largest and newest college of the University of York. It was founded in 2001 and is named after Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, the 1st Earl of Halifax....
. Eden's Court is jocularly referred to by the other blocks of Derwent as 'Shutter Island', due to its isolation in being situated nearer to Halifax College than the Derwent nucleus.