College bulletin: 14 October
Our College news may not be as attention-grabbing as the national headlines have been today, but we still have something for everyone in this issue of the College Bulletin.
Whether you want to hear about where you can watch Harry Styles on the silver screen in College (bringing the people what they want since 1511) to an explanation of the new addition to the river at St John’s – read on to find out more.
College news
Parents of late student to open Cambridge Town and Gown 10k
The parents of St John’s postgraduate Jonathan Gilmour will be starting the city’s Town and Gown 10k run on Sunday in memory of their son, who died in April.
Hundreds of runners and spectators are expected to be in the city for the race, which raises funds for the charity, Muscular Dystrophy UK. Jonathan was diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition as a child and on Sunday his mum and dad Angela and Brian Gilmour will be giving the Town and Gown runners their starting orders to support the charity that is close to their hearts.
The 10k race route runs through the middle of Cambridge and road and pathway closures will be in force between 7.30-8am until noon, with the exception of Victoria Avenue, which will close from 7am. The other closures are: Bridge Street, Maid’s Causeway, Silver Street, Chesterton Road, Newmarket Road, Trinity Street, Footpath 11 (to Stourbridge Common), Northampton Street, Jesus Lane, Park Parade, Walnut Tree Avenue, King’s Parade, Queen’s Road, Magdalene Street and Riverside.
Good luck to all students, staff and Fellows taking part in this year’s race. Find full details on the Town and Gown 10k website.
A memorial service for Jonathan is being held in St John’s College Chapel at noon on Saturday, 5 November 2022.
Chapel to hold vigil in memory of people killed in Iran
An hour-long vigil will be held in the College Chapel on Monday to show solidarity with the people of Iran affected by the protests that have engulfed the country for nearly a month.
Protesters are defying a deadly crackdown by security forces and the ongoing demonstrations are seen as the most serious challenge to the Iranian authorities in decades. They began with the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by morality police in Tehran on 13 September for allegedly violating Iran's strict rules requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf. Since then, it is estimated that more than 200 people have been killed, including children.
The vigil will take place between 12.30pm-1.30pm on Monday 17 October in the College Chapel – people of all faiths or none are very welcome to attend.
Attendees can pray, reflect and light a candle during the vigil in the Ante-Chapel.
Support for Ukrainians
Many Fellows, staff and students have been generous in their personal giving and fundraising to support Ukrainian people suffering because of the war.
Since the start of Term, several members of College have asked whether we can accommodate people who have left Ukraine. Requests have varied from short family stays at St John’s to providing housing for a longer period.
With regret, the College has no suitable housing that is not already committed to St John’s students or academics.
St John’s supports a national scheme called The Council for Academics at Risk (CARA) which offers practical help to academics facing persecution, violence and conflict in countries all over the world including Ukraine, Iran and Syria.
The Colleges and the University pool resources to support CARA placements in Cambridge. Directing funding through CARA aligns with the College’s charitable purposes, which govern how the College as a charity may apply its own resources.
Direct contributions are welcomed by CARA and individuals can also offer rooms, advice and expertise in support of the programme.
College energy conservation
The UK may officially still be in British Summer Time but it is already feeling autumnal in Cambridge.
As the weather gets a bit chillier, the College heating will automatically turn on when the temperature drops to 19°C. The heating temperature is now also capped at 19°C, a reduction of 2°C. This measure is in keeping with the other Colleges as part of the move towards reducing carbon footprints and energy consumption.
The College has already had feedback from people that feel that the heating should not be on at all yet, and from others who feel the temperature is not high enough. If your radiator is not warm and you have made sure that the radiator valve is above zero, please let Maintenance know. Hopefully we are still a long way from gathering around a fire in Hall together to keep warm like early Fellows and students had to do in the winter!
2022 issue of The Eagle lands
The digital issue of The Eagle 2022 – the College’s annual record – is now live online.
This year’s edition, edited by Ellie Collingwood and Professor John Rink, reflects the College’s steady return to normality through the challenges of Covid, as shown by reports from sports teams and societies, members’ news entries and accounts from College officers, which praise the resilience and determination of the community.
The College is also marking the 40th anniversary of the admission of women and many of the articles celebrate the myriad contributions of women from St John’s, from past to present.
Print copies of The Eagle can be found in the Forecourt Lodge post room and department pigeon holes for those who prefer to read it on paper.
Take part in The Big Commuter Survey
Fellows and staff at St John’s are asked to take part in a project called Smart Journeys that tracks commuting trends to inform local policy and travel options.
Co-led by Cambridgeshire County Council, project will collect information about how academics and staff commute to College. Participants will be entered into a prize draw for a £200 Amazon voucher.
Responses to The Big Commuter Survey are anonymous. Please take the online survey by 28 October.
Student set to firewalk for city charity
Sneha Parmar, a second-year PhD student at St John’s, is raising funds for the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, which provides support to local women and girls who have been subjected to sexual violence and abuse.
The Centre is marking its 40th anniversary this year with an ‘Eighties Firewalk’ challenge on 21 October, which will see participants treading 20ft over burning embers to raise vital funds for its work.
Donate to Sneha’s JustGiving page
Academic spreads the word on speech skills
A workshop on ultrasound tongue imaging organised by Dr Calbert Graham, College Research Associate at St John’s, brought together phoneticians, computer scientists, neuroscientists and speech and language therapists from across the University.
Dr Graham, Senior Research Associate in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, held the workshop at St John’s last month with the aim of developing skills across different University departments in the use of ultrasound imaging to visualise the shape and movements of the tongue during speech production.
Earlier this week Dr Graham also featured in an article in the Huffington Post about the evolving of language among different generations of Black Britons.
Precarious lives event aims to help shape future policy
It is hoped a workshop featuring film director Ken Loach at St John’s next month will ‘go beyond shared understanding’ of health inequalities in Britain and lead to ‘effective policy intervention’, says a College Fellow.
Former GP Professor Ann Louise Kinmonth is Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Covenor of St John’s Reading Group on Health Inequalities, which is holding the event on 30 November in collaboration with the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH).
Professor Kinmonth has penned a blog post about why she wanted to be involved in the event. Precarious lives: Inequalities in health through the lens of the filmmaker. Why this workshop? is published on the CRASSH website.
Former Visiting Fellow celebrates publication of Hirsch book
A book jointly edited by Professor Judith Frishman while she was Bleehen Fellow at St John’s last academic year is being launched at the University of Luxembourg.
The launch event for Samuel Hirsch. Philosopher of Religion, Advocate of Emancipation and Radical Reformer (De Gruyter, 2022), edited by Professor Frishman and Dr Thorsten Fuchshuber, takes place on 3 November. The book is about the life and work of Rabbi Hirsch (1815-1889), the first Chief Rabbi of Luxembourg.
Rabbi Hirsch was instrumental in the development of Reform Judaism in Europe and the USA. “Hirsch’s story is key to understanding the transnational history of Reform Judaism and the struggle of Jews to secure a place in history and society,” said Professor Frishman, who is Professor Emerita of Jewish Studies at Leiden University in The Netherlands.
Get more information about the launch by emailing Alice Meroz.
New research into peace-building
Cambridge University Research Association for Peace, a new student-led think-tank, is calling for student participants in its research concerning political polarisation and democracy: register by Friday 21 October or email for more information.
What’s on
Chapel
Evensong – Saturday 15 October, 6.30pm
Including Jonathan Dove’s St John’s Service. This work was commissioned by Dr Kamal and Mrs Anna Ahuja in memory of Professor Sir Christopher Dobson, Master of the College (2007-2019). It receives its first performance this evening.
Open to all, admission free.
Student communion – Sunday 16 October, 8.30am
Student Communion takes place every Sunday at 8.30am, followed by a subsidised cooked breakfast in Hall.
Sung Eucharist – Sunday 16 October, 10.30am
Open to all, admission free.
Organ recital – Sunday 16 October, 6pm
George Herbert, Assistant Organist at St John’s, will be performing works by himself, Duruflé, Khruangbin, Whitlock, Wheeler and Mahler.
Open to all, admission free.
Sunday Evensong with Sermon – Sunday 16 October, 6.30pm
This Evensong also incorporates choral music by Durante and J.S. Bach performed by instrumentalists led by Margaret Faultless, Musician-in-Residence. The preacher this evening is The Rev’d Helen Harknett, Priest-in-charge, St Philip’s, Avondale Square, London.
Open to all, admission free.
Morning prayer – weekdays, 8.30am
Taking place in Ante-Chapel every weekday morning, lasting about 15 minutes.
Evensong – daily, 6.30pm
Open to all, admission free.
Advent Carol Services – Saturday 26 November, 6pm, and Sunday 27 November, 3pm
Organ music will be played by George Herbert, Assistant Organist, and Alex Robson, Herbert Howells Organ Scholar. Full programme to be confirmed.
The Sunday service will be broadcast live by BBC Radio 3.
Open to College members and up to two guests. Admission free, booking required. Deadline for applications is Monday 31 October.
Further details and registration
Follow the Facebook page, SJC Chaplain, for Chapel service updates; and Andrew is on TikTok @thedetoxpriest. The Chapel is always keen to hear from more volunteers to read in services or assist in other ways: please contact Andrew.
Other events
Historical walk 1: Medieval Cambridge – Sunday 16 October, 2pm
Meet at Cripps Porters’ Lodge.
A tour with St John’s Fellow Professor Tim Bayliss-Smith of the highlights of medieval Cambridge including Castle Hill and St Peter’s Church, for College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests.
Kindly note, this event is now fully booked.
St John’s Picturehouse presents Don’t Worry Darling – Sunday 16 October, 7pm & 10pm
Palmerston Room, Fisher Building.
The Picturehouse presents the 2022 film Don’t Worry Darling, a psychological thriller set in the 1950s, starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. The venue is wheelchair accessible with space for up to 10 wheelchair users. Seating is padded.
Open to University members, tickets £4. Further details and tickets
Live lunchtime meditation – Monday to Thursday, 1.15-1.30pm
Via Zoom.
Spend 15 mindful minutes relaxing or meditating with the University’s mindfulness practitioner, Dr Elizabeth English, in these weekday sessions, free to students and staff.
Drop-in dissertation support group – Monday 17 October, 2pm
Via Zoom.
Weekly online group run during term time by the Library, offering a structured study space, support and encouragement for any undergraduate student who is taking on a dissertation next academic year.
Email Rebecca for the Zoom link or if you have any questions.
Maths for Everyone lecture series: Triangles and trigonometry – Monday 17 October, 5.30pm
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building.
St John’s Fellow Professor Nick Manton presents the second in a series of eight lectures aiming to broaden and deepen your understanding of what maths can do and how it works, through stimulating examples from a wide range of areas. This lecture looks at angles, π, sines and cosines and their properties, and areas of triangles.
It will help if you have some familiarity with A-Level maths topics.
Open to all College members. Admission free, booking not required.
Careers Service fairs – Tuesday 18 October, Wednesday 19 October, Thursday 20 October, and throughout the term
The Careers Service is holding 13 Career Fairs this term, online and in-person, to help with applications and preparation. You’ll be able to speak with employers directly or go to their group talks and ask questions. There are careers panels, discussions and employer-led skills sessions.
This week there is a Law Fair (18 Oct) a Virtual Law Fair (19 Oct), and a Maths and Quant Finance Fair (20 Oct).
Registration for each opens a week in advance at 9am. Further details and to register
To see the full range of support available, including CV and interview aids, visit the Careers Service website.
Paleography for beginners – Tuesday 18 October, 3pm
Weekly online sessions for anyone interested in reading handwriting from c1500-c1700, using documents from the College’s institutional archives. Sessions are informal and aimed at beginners, or those with a little experience who wish to practise their skills. Photographs of the documents will be emailed out in advance.
Open to all College members, admission free.
To register or make further enquiries, contact the archivist, Dr Lynsey Darby.
Hinsley Memorial Lecture: Viewing Economics through a Moral Lens – Tuesday 18 October, 5.30pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
The 22nd Hinsley Memorial Lecture will be given by Professor Ashoka Mody, Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor in International Economic Policy at the School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. Professor Mody is author of EuroTragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts.
The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception in the Central Hall. Please note that registration is now closed.
ADC Theatre presents 8 Hotels – Tuesday 18 October to Saturday 22 October, 7pm
Corpus Playroom, 10 St Edward’s Passage.
Directed by Hetty Opayinka and starring Emma Kentridge, both undergraduates at St John’s, the play follows the behind-the-scenes dynamics of a groundbreaking tour of Othello that starred African-American Paul Robeson opposite a white woman, Uta Hagen, in Jim Crow-era America, across eight different locations. Tensions are not just personal but also political in this context and revenge takes sinister forms.
Open to all, tickets £7-£9 Tuesday to Thursday, £9-£11 Friday and Saturday. Purchase tickets
Johnian Society virtual talk: interview with Jez Butterworth – Wednesday 19 October, 6.30pm
Online.
Alumnus Jez Butterworth (1988) is a playwright, director and screenwriter whose notable works include Mojo, Jerusalem and The Ferryman. Jez followed his brother Tom (1985) to St John’s to study English Literature.
Emily Brand (1987), a member of the Johnian Society Committee, will host the conversation with Jez, exploring his writing journey from that moment as a teenager and practising his craft at St John’s to becoming one of the most in-demand writers of his generation.
The interview will be followed by a Q&A; audience questions can also be emailed in advance.
Open to all College members, admission free. Registration closes on Monday 17 October.
Further details and to register
Postgraduates Dine with Fellows – Wednesday 19 October, 7.30pm
Hall.
Open to College postgraduates. Free of charge, limited places, register via Upay.
Please note that ‘Postgraduates Dine with Fellows’ events take place throughout the academic year (currently twice per term). Postgraduates are kindly asked to limit attendance to one per academic year.
St John's College Music Society (SJCMS) lunchtime recital – Thursday 20 October, 1.15pm
The Chapel.
With Emily India Evans, soprano, and organist George Herbert.
Open to all, admission free, booking is not required.
St John's Poetry Society’s poetry potluck – Thursday 20 October, 7pm
Arthur Quiller Couch Room, Old Divinity School.
Come to share the poets you love, try out a new style of writing and be introduced to fabulous authors.
Details to follow on Facebook
Open to University members. Admission free, booking not required.
Meet the College’s new Writer in Residence – Monday 24 October, 6pm
Merton Hall Cottage, St John’s College.
Interested in creative writing? Not sure how to go about it and who might help? Head along to meet Vona Groarke (pictured), our new Writer in Residence at St John’s.
No need to be studying English, students of all subjects with an interest in writing fiction or poetry are welcome. ‘Wine, cake and encouragement’ will be served.
Merton Hall Cottage is the white cottage ‘shaped like a bread loaf’ behind the School of Pythagoras and Art Room. Visitors may enter through the white garden door.
Can’t make this event? Email Vona for an appointment.
See next week’s College Bulletin for a profile feature on our new Writer in Residence.
Tour of Chapel – Wednesday 26 October, 2pm
Meet in the Ante-Chapel.
With an introduction by The Rev’d Dr Mark Oakley followed by a 95-minute tour with Stephen Stokes, Chapel Clerk.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests. Admission free, booking not required.
Every Wrong Direction by Dan Burt: Cambridge Launch – Friday 28 October, 6pm
The Lightfoot Room, Old Divinity School.
Dan Burt, poet, author and Honorary Fellow of St John’s, will be holding a reception to mark the launch of his new book, Every Wrong Direction: An Emigré's Memoir.
Hosting the reading and conversation will be St John’s Fellow Professor John Kerrigan. The event will feature readings and discussion, and audience members will have the opportunity to ask their own questions. A drinks reception will follow in the Central Hall of the Old Divinity School, where books will be available to purchase.
Open to all, admission free.
Further details and to register
Tour of the Fitzwilliam Museum – Saturday 29 October, 2pm
Fitzwilliam Museum.
With Professor Patrick Boyde, Fellow of St John’s. Meet at the museum’s public entrance.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests. Admission free, booking not required.
Andrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture 2022 – Friday 4 November, 5pm
Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA.
The 16th Andrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture, Black Holes, Thermodynamics and Information Loss, will be given by Professor Robert Wald, professor of Physics at the University of Chicago.
Admission is free but booking is required via the Faculty of Mathematics Events page.
Jonathan Gilmour memorial service – Saturday 5 November, 12pm
St John’s College Chapel.
A memorial service is being held for postgraduate student Jonathan Gilmour, who died in April.
All welcome to attend. Please register in advance to assist with planning seating and refreshments.
Full details and registration form
SBR’s Postgraduate Research Symposium – Saturday 12 November
Palmerston Room and Fisher Building Foyer.
Details to be confirmed.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests. Admission free, booking not required.
Postgraduates Dine with Fellows – Wednesday 16 November, 7.30pm
Hall.
Open to College postgraduates. Free of charge, limited places, register via Upay after 20 October.
Dramatisation from the Divine Comedy – Wednesday 16 & Thursday 17 November, 7.30pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
Fellow Professor Patrick Boyde presents Dante’s Virgil: the Tragedy of a more-than-Father, a semi-staging of scenes from Dante’s epic 14th-century poem, the Divine Comedy.
In Italian with subtitles, images and music.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests as part of this term’s Sans Frontières events programme.
Admission free, booking is recommended.
Book for Wednesday 16 November performance or Thursday 17 November performance
Ghost walk – Thursday 24 November, 5.45pm
Meet in the Third Court Cloister by the Bridge of Sighs.
With Fellow Dr Mark Nicholls.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests. Admission free, booking not required.
Precarious lives: inequalities in health through the lens of the film maker – Wednesday 30 November, 1.15pm for 1.45pm start
Palmerston Room, Fisher Building.
Director Ken Loach is due to appear at this rare afternoon workshop and screening of his acclaimed 2019 film Sorry We Missed You.
St John’s Reading Group on Health Inequalities has organised the event, which comes at a time of deep concern about the impact of rising poverty on child health and development, in association with the University’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH).
Free of charge. Donations will be collected at the event for Cambridge City Foodbank and Cambridge Aid.
Book your place via the CRASSH events page
Ghost stories – Wednesday 7 December, 8.45pm
Combination Room.
With Professor Patrick Boyde.
Open to College postgraduate students, Fellows, visiting Fellows and their guests. Admission free, booking not required.
And finally…
Normally the view from Bridge of Sighs is of punting novices crashing into each other but eagle-eyed members of College may have spotted a new addition to the landscape – a massive thermometer.
Solar powered thermometers have been placed in key locations along the River Cam to monitor the temperature of the water. The move is part of a collaborative pilot project between some of the riverside Colleges to explore alternative renewable energy sources.
The others are located in the river near Darwin College, Coe Fen and at Grantchester Meadows. The monitor is now live and will collect data for the next six months.
