Philly Malicka

On Saturday 22 March 2025, Univ Old Members who matriculated between 2005 and 2008 were invited to return to the College for their Gaudy. Georgie Johnson (2007, Physiological Sciences) has kindly written the following report of the event:

It was with great anticipation and excitement that I arrived early on Saturday morning, in an attempt to maximise some adult time away from my three daughters, to be welcomed by the wonderful porters as I pushed through the weighty front door from the high street into main quad. An instant flood of overwhelming nostalgia hit me with bird song and Oxford bells peeling in the background. What a place Univ is, how lucky I was to call it home for three years of my life, how brilliant the people are that I met there!

The afternoon tea was a perfect way to kick off the festivities, seeing such a range of faces – friends who are godparents to my children and I speak to almost daily and those who I haven’t spoken to since leaving in 2010. We all reverted to the young adults that we were, catching up, hearing about careers, families and escapades over the last 15 years. The magnolia tree in the Master’s Garden was looking resplendent in the background.

The black-tie evening was wonderful, and it was an honour to be at high table for the first time. Philly’s (Philippa Malicka) speech was simply perfect. We all loved the changes that have been made in Hall, bringing in the black and white photographs of more recent leavers. It made a great improvement from being watched by the male gaze from the oil paintings above. There was a lot of conversation about how College felt different, more approachable, more welcoming, less masculine.

It’s a strange thing choosing an Oxford college as a 17-year-old. No matter how much research is completed in advance of an application, one doesn’t have any idea really about the differences in personalities, outlook or way of living that each college presents. So really, it’s luck of the draw, despite it having such a fundamental impact on that pivotal part of people’s lives, when they grow into adults and transition into a new chapter, preparing for the “real world”.

I wouldn’t have wanted to study anywhere else, and I recognise fully that the education I received at Univ provided the foundation to my career, in particular by building the confidence I gained through intense and regular intellectual challenge. I loved seeing my tutor, Dr Dorrington, on Saturday evening and I hope that he is continuing to inspire students in the way he did me.

A huge thanks to the Master and the College team for putting on such a fantastic event.

Published: 10 April 2025

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