About Rhodes House

On Friday night, there was a College outing to The Royal Oak, although I missed it because I spent the night at the Mixed Common Room meeting new friends over tea at 8 pm. What started as a conversation about our general interests evolved into a discussion on the upcoming American elections and their significance to the world. 

Saturday morning was spent in preparation for a day at the Rhodes House, a glamourous, classic, marble-decorated building constructed in the late 1920s. Saturday was the Welcome Day to all 83 Rhodies for 2008/2009. 

Opening the event was the Warden of the Rhodes House, Sir Colin Lucas. He made a number of memorable statements, including this one:

“My job is to turn the key to the door of opportunities – yours, as Rhodes scholars, is to open the door and explore the opportunities that lay before you. We do not wish to pressure you into studying this or that, or working here or there – you choose how you will make a mark in this world, and we know you will. We don’t know when, but we always know you will.”

It left me feeling happy about this incredible freedom, this flexibility that allows me to do anything I wish… I was relieved when the Warden said that if we ever ended up in jail, we could count on the Rhodes House staff coming to save us and get us out: “You only need call us and we will be there to get you.” I don’t anticipate being in jail anytime soon, but it’s nice to have that reassurance. I feel at home already!

The Warden talked about a number of other things, including the fact that to change the Rhodes notes of qualifications would require an act of Parliament – Indeed, an act of Parliament had to be passed to allow women to be eligible for the Rhodes scholarship. Similar changes were needed to modify the geographical distribution of the scholarship.  

The Rhodes House really acts as my home away from home. The staff there are always available to help with any questions I may have, they help with any problems, including financial ones, and they truly encourage every one of the Rhodies to spend as much time in the House as they wish – There is a common room there, with African batik fabric adorning the walls, where we can help ourselves to tea, coffee, or juices, drinks. The interesting exclusivity of being a Rhodes scholar couldn’t be more obvious – Just at the entrance to the common room reads a glass sign engraved in blue – “For Rhodes Scholars’ Use Only.” Opposite this room is our computer room, where we can browse the web, work on our academics, bring our laptop and study, print papers, all at no cost to us. This room, too, as you can imagine, is restricted to Rhodes scholars.

In the public common room, portraits of well-known Rhodes scholars decorate the walls – Bill Clinton, for example. Nelson Mandela’s framed photograph, taken in the Rhodes House, is in this room, which is also host to a few other portraits, including an iconographic depiction of the duo of young Cecil Rhodes and Nelson Mandela. Some time ago, the Rhodes Trust began a joint assistance program in South Africa by joining forces with the Mandela Foundation, which helps students from South Africa come to study in Oxford. The Rhodes House is host to the Rhodes-Mandela Foundation.

The Rhodes House is also home to the Rhodes House Library, which is part of the Bodleian. Most of the books there are on the Commonwealth countries. The library staff don’t seem terribly fond of the Rhodies – we use their computers to check our e-mails and Facebook updates. They can’t say much, though – Usually, they discourage us from using the computers by being stereotypically indirect, as only the British can be.

There is a large garden in the back of the Rhodes House, with lots of African plants. This is also where we took our group photograph – Ensuring that 83 people are all looking at the camera at the same time can be a bit of a challenge.