Alcuin College

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Alcuin College is a college of the University of York. Sitting upon Siward's Howe, it has throughout the life of the University been the home of the self-styled Alcuin Separatist Movement, a running gag at York, involving the secession of the college from the remainder of the university.

For many years Alcuin College was very much the outcast on the university campus, the only college physically separate from the others except for a bridge from the library, a narrow bridge from Langwith and a walkway to the chemistry department. Overlooking University Road was Alcuin's 1950s American theme bar - the only themed college bar on campus. The bar was decorated in American 1950s paraphanelia such as busts of Marilyn Monroe and a full-size pink cadillac that appeared to be crashing through the wall. The bar's terrace overlooked University Road and was immensely popular with students in the summer. The bar incorporated a burger bar and the staff all wore uniforms of stars and stripes.

Alcuin College housed the Economics department and had a large common room on the ground floor that was rarely used. The huge dining room and cafe on the second floor overlooked the whole of campus, hence the JCRC motto of many years 'Alcuin looks down on the rest of campus'. The major refurbishment of the college in the summer of 2000 essentially shifted the college even further away from the rest of campus. Many Alcuin students (including virtually all finalists) were moved to Halifax Court while the existing prefabricated Alcuin was extensively refurbished. Rumours persisted among students that the speed of the refurbishment was due to the possibility that Zara Phillips was considering enrolling at the University of York and the state of campus accommodation was not of a high enough standard to welcome students with a royal pedigree. This rumour turned out to be untrue.

The new Alcuin bar, B Henry's was named after a college porter of many years and on opening was immensely popular despite its relatively distant location compared to the rest of campus. The bar was in no way similar to that f it's 'in your face' themed predecessor. The refurbishment of other bars on campus in the following few years led to Alcuin's unique status evaportating to the point where it is now regularly empty. Threats of partial or full closure were in the student press in the 2006 summer term.

Nowadays, however, Alcuin is more commonly known for the Alcuin Venom, who during the 2005 Fresher's Week removed the newly laid turf in the quad outside L, M and N blocks to spell the letters AV. This led to college provost Tony Ward setting off the fire alarms in these blocks in the early morning to get the residents outside. It eventually emerged that this was a prank, although Tony Ward was not amused. The pranksters relaid the turf to try and appease the situation.

Alcuin is perhaps best known for the en-suite bathrooms that come as standard with every room and the general quality of the rooms, most of which were recently built. Alcuin has recently undergone a phase of new construction, amid controversy (K and L blocks were not complete by the time students were due to move in, leaving many to live in the nearby National Science Learning Centre accommodation blocks, which lacked many facilities - particularly kitchens [1]).

Alcuin is generally considered to be the "posh" part of the university, rivalled perhaps by James College, which lacks many facilities considered essential to university life (mainly, a bar). York Vision ran an article in November 2005 comparing Alcuin to Goodricke College, of which C block was considered in a 2002 YUSU to be the worst on campus. Differences included: 2 full cookers in Alcuin kitchens, as opposed to Baby Belling cookers and lifts in the new L-Q Alcuin blocks.

It possesses a bar, B Henry's, and café, Café Barista, 2 quads of accommodation blocks, and its own off-campus accommodation, Holgate's Hall. There are also several teaching blocks (East Wing and the Seebohm Rowntree building) and is home of many departments (such as Economics, Chemistry and Computer Science) and the University library.

Following Vanbrugh B and C block's conversion to offices, the uprooted residents moved to the newly made P and Q blocks (which were built on time) and dubbed themselves as Valcuin members. In addition to P and Q blocks, a new JCR building was built, and an extra wash station (to try and add to the four washing machines for the whole of Alcuin). The JCR was opened in May 2006, six months later than planned.

Like other York colleges, Alcuin has its own JCRC, currently chaired by Tom Stratton.

Like all the colleges of the University of York, it is eponymous, named after Alcuin of York.

[edit] References

• "Accommodation crisis forces Alcuin freshers off campus" by Toby Green, Nouse, October 11, 2005

[edit] External links

• Article on the Alcuin Separatists
• Alcuin JCRC website
• University of York - Alcuin College

Colleges of the University of York
Alcuin | Derwent | Goodricke | Halifax | James | Langwith | Vanbrugh | Wentworth