Ripon newsletter: September 2024
Welcome to your autumn newsletter. September has started with dismal weather, but that won’t stop our students from making the most of their first weeks on campus.
Do you remember your first week in Ripon? In September, many of us think back to new starts and the excitement of new beginnings. For our current students, term doesn’t start until next week, but that only means this week will be spent packing everything but the kitchen sink as they prepare to join us for the year.
In this newsletter, we share some important dates for your diary, a look at Ripon’s student accommodation and how you can get involved this autumn.
Septembers past…
At the start of the year, alumna Allison Clarke, shared some fantastic photos from her time with us, including of her student bedroom in Harewood. As a student, there’s nothing more important than making a space feel like home. In recent years, this has included plants, posters and bedding. Today’s students might also string up fairy lights and bring cushions and throws to make their room feel like home.
But did you know that for decades, most students at Ripon didn’t have rooms, but cubicles? Only those housed at the Hostel had actual bedrooms, presumably as that was the way the building was originally configured! But for the majority of students. it wasn’t until the 1950s when another extensive building project began, that study bedrooms became a reality for most students.
Study cubicles were arranged in corridors and although private, they weren’t private. Students would be able to hear one another, as the cubicles didn’t have walls reaching the ceiling. This likely presented some problems if some students snored! But it also meant that cubicles would be harder to decorate, especially in times when students would have brought far less with them. Early equipment lists focused more on required clothing and books than on making a space feel like home!
You might be wondering why Ripon students didn’t have study bedrooms when at St John’s, student bedrooms were built into the fabric of the quad in 1846! We will likely never know a definitive answer, but it likely returns to the idea of privacy, or rather, a lack of it. For over a century, men were not allowed inside Ripon’s residential areas, even fathers and brothers during moving day were forbidden entry. It’s likely that by creating a lack of privacy, the governing body thought students were discouraged from activities that required it.
Another aspect was the cost of creating study bedrooms. We know that converting cubicles into bedrooms was expensive, and so was building new residential areas. Earlier this year when we were researching our first female Principal, Principal Lett, we stumbled across documents detailing the expense of redecorating a room, never mind converting it! You can reread our blog post about her principalship on our blog.
Today, our students are all afforded a level of privacy unimaginable to our earliest students. Many opt for an ensuite room if they can afford to, and student kitchens now often come equipped with multiple cupboards, fridges and hob station, to make the student experience much smoother.
A summer of reunions
This summer, we know several alumni groups returned to Ripon for summer reunions!
In June, two large reunion groups held their reunions in the city. Organised by alumni, the reunions groups were split into a reunion for those who studied between 1976 and 1984, and those who studied between 1987 and 1994. It was fantastic to see photos from these events, and we hope everyone involved had a fantastic time reconnecting with fellow alumni.
In June, another reunion group also returned to Ripon! Ten alumnae who studied with us from 1964 to 1967 met up in the summer sunshine to reminisce on College days.
“It’s astonishing that we keep in touch throughout the year and spend our time together exchanging current news but also reminiscing about our happy time in ‘The College’. We enjoyed a delicious Italian meal (I remember none of us had ever tasted a pizza until we were 20!) and discussed the amazing life story of Victor Priem (our pottery lecturer who later became a recognised ceramicist).
We cruised on the river and pledged to repeat the event next year, possibly during Ripon Arts & Literature Festival.”
-Jennifer S
St Wilfrid’s Procession
At the start of August, Ripon held its annual St Wilfrid’s Day procession. This year included parade floats, Morris dancers and thankfully, plenty of sunshine!
You can watch some of the highlights of the procession in a short video posted on Facebook by Ripon Together.
Ripon’s legacy
This autumn, we’ll be sharing information about how alumni can leave a gift in their will to support York St John.
When Ripon College opened in 1862, many of its early improvements and fundraising campaigns were supported by alumnae, including by leaving gifts in wills. At the time, gifts might have included physical items to support the next generation of teachers too.
Today, we wouldn’t know what to do with a globe or set of textbooks. But leaving a monetary gift can support students in lots of different ways.
In 2014, we received a substantial legacy gift from an alumna who studied at Ripon College. Her generous gift revitalised our alumni-funded scholarships and has supported students to thrive during their time studying with us. Despite never studying in York, her support has helped our students make a home during their studies.
At York St John, we celebrate and appreciate every legacy we receive.
Learn more about Legacies at York St John on our website.
CRYSJ Bishop
In June, the United Kingdom’s Ordinariate elected its first Bishop, former Anglican Vicar David Waller, who studied at the College of Ripon and York St John.
You can find out more about this on the Catholic News World website.
Dates for your diary
Wednesday 30 October in Darlington
If you live nearby, please join us at our first North East Networking event in Darlington. Enjoy a welcome talk from our team, free refreshments, a short quiz and plenty of time to socialise and connect with other alumni.
Tickets are limited, so book your place on Eventbrite soon!
Monday 2 December in York
Every year, we hold a fantastic, free Carol Service in York Minster. This free festive event will include the chance to sing traditional carols, hear from our University choir and watch a student performance.
Tickets will be available in November, so keep an eye on your regular newsletters to find out how to book your free place!
Thursday 5 December in Ripon
Join us for our second, annual festive event in Ripon! We’re still finalising details for this event, but we know it will include a festive lunch at Ripon Golf club and space to reminisce and connect with other alumni.
Tickets will be available to book soon, so please keep an eye out for an email with booking information.
Alumination and Ask Our Alum
Did you know that Alumination includes snapshots from alumni from a range of industries and campuses? In the next few months, we’re excited to expand this as we launch our Ask Our Alum community.
Ask Our Alum is an easy way for alumni to support fellow alumni and students without committing to giving time, attending training or meeting in person.
If you would like to join our Ask Our Alum community, please complete a snapshot.
Ghost stories
As we creep closer towards autumn, things begin to look a little different in the gloom. We’ve heard that our Ripon buildings had a few well known ghost stories, and we’d love to learn more!
If you experienced something spooky or ghostly whilst studying with us, please tell us your spooky story by completing our short form.
