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University College, commonly known as Castle, is a college of the University of Durham in England. It is the oldest of Durham's colleges, founded in 1832. Since 1837 it has been housed in Durham Castle, which dates from 1097 and is the oldest University building in the world. It also forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral. The college still uses the ancient buildings, with meals eaten in the medieval Great Hall, and the bar located in an 11th century undercroft.

A total of approximately 600 undergraduates attend the college, making it slightly smaller than the average Durham college. Of these students, around 100 students live in the castle itself; in addition to these the College maintains some other halls of residence in the surrounding area. These are: Moatside Court, which is a modern development mainly inhabited by first years; Owengate which is a series of inter-connected houses along the lane of the same name; Cosin's Hall on Palace Green; and Bailey Court which faces similar accommodation belonging to Hatfield College. The college previously owned Lumley Castle, which it used as an accommodation block.

It remains the most popular college for applications, with around fifteen students applying for every available place.

The student body ("JCR") is governed by an elected Executive Committee. The head of the 'Exec' is the Senior Man (even when a female student holds the role), supported by several other officers. Regular JCR meetings are held to discuss and vote on important issues. There are several other elected non-executive officers such as Returning Officer, Fresher Rep and Sports Captain who organise other important college functions. The Senior Man meets regularly with college and university authorities to represent the JCR.

The graduate community at Castle is active and the activities of the MCR are many and varied. In particular, they organize events such as the college's entry into the inter-collegiate University Challenge competition, which acts as trials for the university's team.

The Senior Common Room, for academics and tutors attached to Castle, is a vibrant community. Its central events are the formal meals, often followed by a guest speaker.

Castle has an intense and legendary rivalry with nearby Hatfield College.

University College June Ball

University College is noted for holding The June Ball, an annual celebration at the end of every academic year. It is the social highlight of the academic year and the most exclusive and prestigious event in Durham University. It has been described by the Guardian as one of the top 10 nights out in all of England. Tradition dictates that its theme remains closely hidden till the doors to the Castle open. It is sometimes known as 'The May Ball of the North'.

Notable alumni

The Undercroft Bar + Smenergy

The student bar of University College is called the Undercroft, or The Undie. This is due to its location in a fourteenth century Undercroft. The bar's speciality drink is known as a 'Smenergy', a portmanteau of Smirnoff and energy. This reflects its ingredients, a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and a bottle of high-caffeine energy drink named Raw Spirit.

External links

Colleges of the University of Durham

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "University College, Durham".

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