Vanbrugh College, York

Vanbrugh College
University of York
Established	1967
Named for	Sir John Vanbrugh
Principal	Barry Thomas
Undergraduates	2100
Postgraduates	180
Website	[1] Vanbrugh JCRC

Vanbrugh College is a college of the University of York, UK, and was opened in 1967. The College is home to the History and History of Art departments, Language and Linguistics and Music together with some 2100 undergraduates and 180 graduate students.

Description

Vanbrugh "paradise" viewed from across the lake

One of the interior grassed areas of Le Page Court

Grimston House

The main college building, three storeys high and constructed in the 1960s in the CLASP system, consists of four blocks arranged within a square. The western, northern and eastern blocks are known, respectively, as A, B and C blocks, all of which were residential blocks when the college opened in 1968. The southern side, often known as the teaching block, contains offices for the History and History of Art departments plus two lecture theatres. It was also home to the Mathematics department until the early 2000s. C Block also houses a Computing Service computer room, V058, previously known in abbreviated form as "vuft" when it belonged to the Computer Science department.

In addition, social space located in an extension off the teaching block includes a large dining hall, V-bar, JCR, SCR, a Porter's Lodge and a wide corridor known as Vanbrugh Stalls, which takes its name from the frequent society and ticket-selling stalls that are set up there.

A further building to the west contains offices for the Students Union as well as Your:Books, the Students' Union second hand book store. Now called Grimston House, it was originally known as X Block. The reason for this has become a campus legend, but is in fact true: university buildings are named by their college or building name initial and then a block letter. As the fourth block in Vanbrugh, this would have been known as VD block. The University decided to call it VX instead. This was in part as the building, when viewed from above, was X-shaped. The building underwent major alterations in 1999, changing the shape of the east frontage, and was then renamed.

Vanbrugh students also can apply for off-campus accommodation at Fairfax House which is situated on Heslington Road, approximately 10 minutes walk from the main college building, housing approximately 90 students, in addition to around 30 Vanbrugh residents in the hall of residence on Fulford Road, Fulford House.

Between A and X Block a shed once used as cleaners cupboard is used by University Radio York which broadcast radio locally at the 1350AM Radio Frequency.

Vanbrugh College has a reputation for sporting achievement.

In autumn of 2007 the College football team completed a naked calendar in which they raised over £300 for Cancer Research UK.

In 2013, Charles Pottle and Oliver Duguid (Environment and Campaigns representatives from the JCRC) set up Green Vanbrugh. This group was created to increase awareness of the environmental issues within the college and to promote involvement from college members.

College areas

Donald Barron and Barbara Scott Courts

This new accommodation was completed in October 2007 and comprises two courts named after prominent former members of the university: Donald Barron and Barbara Scott. Providing living space for approximately 250 students, extensive landscaping has taken place around the site during early 2008 to improve its aesthetic appearance with the planting of trees, plants and the laying of grass.

These courts feature large kitchens, probably the largest on the Heslington campus, and brick-built bike storage facilities.

Eric Milner-White Court

In 2009, when Goodricke College moved to the Heslington East development, the original Goodricke site was divided between Vanbrugh College and James College. While James College got the old Goodricke nucleus and Cell Block C (Now N Block), Vanbrugh College got Blocks A and B, which were renamed Eric Milner-White court after the Very Reverend Eric Milner-White who died in 1963.

From 2011 Wentworth E block was pinned to Eric Milner-White court for Vanbrugh undergraduate use after a renovation of blocks A-D by Wentworth College meant it didn't make the grade for postgraduate standards. Wenworth E block is an exact copy of the old Cell block C, now James N block.

Fairfax House

Originally constructed in 1922, Fairfax House was initially accommodation for Nurses working at The Retreat. When acquired by the University, it was merged with Vanbrugh College, and now serves as off-campus accommodation for 90 Students.

Le Page Court

Le page is the oldest accommodation on campus. Used as undergraduate accommodation, the former blocks A and B were renamed when the college let go of its old C block. The name is used in honour of the first Vanbrugh provost, Professor Robert Le page. The block is notoriously labyrinthine and dark, a fact which residents are overly proud of, as it promotes college spirit apparently. In 2012, the top floor of the 3 story building was reclaimed as offices for the History department.

Past developments

In 2005 it was decided that half of Block B and all of Block C would be converted into offices. In January 2006, 86 students moved into P and Q blocks of Alcuin College while retaining their membership of Vanbrugh College. Residents in these blocks dubbed themselves Valcuin. These accommodation arrangements were only for the year 2005–2006 while the old Bleachfield site to the north-west of Heslington campus was completed. In 2009 it was decided that Vanbrugh College will inherit the old A and B blocks of Goodricke College. These are now named Eric Milner-White Court.

Junior Common Room

All residents of Vanbrugh College are members of the Junior Common Room, and continue to remain members throughout their time at the university. There is additionally a Senior Common Room for the use of postgraduate students.

The JCR is run by the Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) which consists of around 38 members. Recent Chairs and Vice Chairs have included:

Year	Chair	Vice Chairs
2014	Michael Duncan	Rachel Bates Curtis Hodgson
2013	Josh Treacy	Vanessa Villanueva Vincent Waddelove
2012	Matt Stephenson	Kate Elliot Ben Rodin
2011	Kallum Taylor	Laura Trewick Sajni Shah
2010	Tahir Shetty	Anne Ly Steph Northcott
2009	Danielle Fill	Martin Mulligan Laura Bo
2008	Matthew Oliver	Charlotte Keeler Marieke Hampshire
2007	Ryan Bennett	Sam Turner Jennifer Warne
2006	Mickey Macefield	Ryan Bennett Matt Siegal
2005	Sarah Jones	Matthew Heinink Annie Olsen
2004	Aidan Horner
2000	Paul Dunn
1999	Shona Thind	Greg Paterson
1998	Vicki Austin	Pete Campion-Smith

Events

Vertigo is a brand new clubnight brought in by 2014 former Vice-Chair Chris Morris. The night was set up as a brand new concept 'unseen' in any college before, and was based upon a variety of music played across three floors by Vanbrugh student DJ. The first on 29 January 2014, received an almost viral response and sold nearly 500 tickets.

Volume was a disco-type event run by Vanbrugh JCRC. The event took place in the college Bar, JCR and Vanbrugh Hall simultaneously, with each of which playing a different style of music to suit individual tastes. All areas have a late licence, usually until 1:00 am. However, occasionally this is extended until 1:30 am. With a capacity of 600, it is the largest college venue on campus. Volume is the rebranded version of Planet V, which was scrapped at the end of 2007. In 2013, the decision to drop Volume as an event was taken due to very poor turnout and financial losses associated with the event and a change in trend in York's student night-life scene.

External links

• University Website for Vanbrugh College
• Vanbrugh College JCRC Official Web Site
• York University Students Union JCRC Web Site
• Vanbrugh Christian Union