James Wycliffe
James was a theology student at Davidson College, University of [City] before the bad times began. It had been winter and Wycliffe was in his 1st year of PhD and his first term of presidency of the St Bede's Union - a forum for debates, guest speakers and voracious English style partying.
Then disaster struck and the long winter began. Many student returned from Davidson to their family homes with great haste but being English Wycliffe couldn't get home. Thus he and the other internationals of the St Bede's Union battened down the hatches in the Society's debating halls and tried to weather out the winter. The times were bad and of the 82 people they started with only 28 remained by the time the thaw came.
Having retained de facto presidency over the long winter Wycliffe had made many of the decisions that had lead to their survival. Upon the thaw he soon contacted the other survivors and opened up the Society's old debating halls - which had survived the winter - to be a place of gathering and discussion amongst the survivors and as a potential place to set up a council to make the big decisions about the city's future.
Wycliffe is a young and energetic man with an incredibly posh English accent. He enjoys large amounts of the finer things in life and is a highly devout Anglican.
Originally founded as the University of [City]'s Students union in 1854 the Union has held debates since 1856. In 1866 there was a large influx of British students who rallied to the Union as a vestige of Englishness in this foreign and ungodly land. Since then it became almost assured that the President of the society would come from and upper class British background. Many local students were taken in creating what the newspapers described as a "crazed love of monarchy englishness and all things anti-american". Some alumni of the society even went on to be proponents of a restoration of the British monarchy. This began to earn the society a bad reputation amongst the more patriotic types and a rival was set up in the form of the
George Washington Society which in 1899 led the university to sanction the creation of an official students union the [City initial]SU. The St Bede's Union and George Washington Society maintained a fierce rivalry from then on.
During the Long Winter many international students who couldn't make it home after the closure of the University decided to stay in the society which the president had opened as a refuge for such people.
Following the thaw the Union reasserted itself as a centre for debate and education. It offers accommodation for people wanting to become the new generation of academics and it also offers its debating halls as a forum for debate to all the people of the city.
Buildings of the Union
President's Lodge - a small stone building standing slightly off the main halls of accommodation. It was built in the 1850s and has always been reserved for the president to live in.
The Debating Hall - One of the University's oldest buildings the Debating Halls were given to the Union upon its foundation. The wooden panelled rooms offer seating for the debates and was also the site of the administration of the Union.
St Bede Hall - A block of accommodation which could be rented by members of the society. It was built at the same time as the presidents lodge and offers shared-bathroom accommodation and fully catered meals.
Formal Hall - The dining hall for the Union's meals and gatherings of Formal Hall is another old building and has kitchens attached. It is where people accommodated in St Bede Hall go for there meals. Since the Thaw food has been transported upriver which is facilitated by its location on the bank. This offers the perfect location for formal meals and the Union is willing to hire it out for official occasions.
Chapel of St Mary Magdalene - A small chapel seating about 30 people. It was built in 1869 for the Union and has held a Sunday morning service and a Thursday evensong every week since its opening. During the Long Winter it was one of the things that helped to keep the morale of the trapped students alive. Though there are very few people left any more the Chapel does try to maintain an active choir in the Anglican tradition.
