College bulletin: 17 June
Scientists have proved that the best way to cool down during the hottest day of the year (so far) is to relax with a cold drink whilst reading the College Bulletin and who are we to argue with science?!
College news
Academic promotions for St John’s Fellows
As reported in the Cambridge University Reporter, with effect from 1 October 2022, full Professorships (Grade 12) are to be established for each of the following St John’s academics: Professor Graham Ladds, Professor John Ryan Taylor and Dr Laura Torrente Murciano.
Also with effect from 1 October 2022, Professorships (Grade 11) are to be established for: Dr Orietta Da Rold, Dr Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, Dr Edward Tipper, Dr Neil Arnold and Dr Andrew Wheeler.
Dr John Weisweiler is to be appointed to University Associate Professorships (Grade 10), with effect from 1 October 2022 to the retiring age.
Congratulations!
Eagle Eye has landed
The Easter Term 2022 edition of College magazine Eagle Eye is out now and copies can be picked up in the Forecourt and Great Gate Porters’ Lodges, Library and Buttery. Or you can view it online on the College website.
St John’s economist joins 800-year-old tradition that has recognised some of the world’s foremost thinkers, leaders, and traders
Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta has received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of his world-leading research which called for transformational change in our economic approach to nature.
The St John’s academic was awarded the honour during one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies still in existence – becoming a Freeman of the City is believed to have been first bestowed in 1237 and it is the highest honour the City of London can bestow.
Project on the ‘critical’ future of advanced computing in the UK headed up by St John’s academic
A Government review into how the UK can use advanced computing to power technologies of the future is being led by Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert Professor Zoubin Ghahramani, a Fellow of St John's.
The Future of Compute Review was launched by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak at the start of London Tech Week on Monday.
All in the bones
Second-year undergraduate Andrew Smith’s family ties to the discovery of Neanderthal remains more than half a century ago have added another layer to the archaeological research of two St John’s academics, Professor Graeme Barker and Dr Emma Pomeroy.
Other news
Student’s memoir to be published this month
Mya-Rose Craig, a first-year BA student at St John’s, has written a memoir called Birdgirl which is being published on Thursday 30 June.
The 20-year-old birder, environmentalist and diversity campaigner, who is studying Human, Social and Political Sciences, has seen more than 5,500 different types of bird – half the world’s species – since she began birdwatching with her family as a child, and Birdgirl is her story.
Published by Jonathan Cape, Mya-Rose’s book is described by The Times as ‘a cross between a travel diary, an ornithologist’s guide and a thriller’. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon and in all good book shops.
Read an interview with Mya-Rose in The Times (subscription may be required)
Gearing up for Giving Day – Thursday 23 June to Friday 24 June
St John’s will be celebrating its first-ever Giving Day on Thursday 23 June and Friday 24 June.
The chosen fund is Dobson Free Places, the College’s ground-breaking initiative to secure world-class, means-tested student support in perpetuity.
Giving Days are big, fun, digital fundraiser bringing communities together to raise as much money as possible for a chosen fundraising priority. There is a sense of urgency as the clock counts down and the stakes are raised with Challenge funds waiting to be unlocked once particular donor goals have been achieved. It’s a great way to reach people around the world and allows everyone, no matter where they are located, to feel a sense of belonging and celebration.
Changes to Buttery hours and car parking in May Week
Due to it being a very busy week for the Catering department, please note that the Buttery will only be open between 5.30pm and 7pm this Sunday 19 June.
On the day of the May Ball on Tuesday, the Buttery and Bar will close at 2pm and will reopen at 5.30pm on Wednesday for dinner service. No lunch service will be available in the Buttery that day.
Cripps and Forecourt parking arrangements will also be different next week. As in previous years, parking spaces along the lane in the Cripps Car Park will be unavailable on Tuesday and Wednesday, reopening on Thursday 23 June.
The main car parking area in Cripps will still be available for parking, as will the Playing Fields Car Park, but both areas will be very busy.
It is requested that Fellows who park in Forecourt on Tuesday move their vehicles to other car parks by 4.30pm so that the area can be set up to accommodate the May Ball VIP entry area. Parking in Forecourt for Fellows will return to normal at 8am on Wednesday. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Long summer vacation dinners
From Friday 24June and throughout the long summer vacation, dinner will be available in the Buttery between 6pm and 7pm each evening.
BA table dinners for postgraduate students are available from now on U-pay to book throughout the vacation.
What’s on
Chapel
Morning prayer – weekdays, 8.30am
Taking place in Ante-Chapel every weekday morning, lasting about 15 minutes.
Evensong – daily, 6.30pm
Evensong – Friday 17 June, 6.30pm
Open to all, admission free.
Evensong – Saturday 18 June, 6.30pm
Sung by the College Choir accompanied by the violin.
Open to all, admission free.
Student communion – Sunday 19 June, 8.30am
Student Communion takes place every Sunday at 8.30am, followed by a subsidised cooked breakfast in Hall.
Sung Eucharist – Sunday 19 June, 10.30am
Open to all, admission free.
Organ recital – Sunday 19 June, 6pm
Colin Walsh, Organist Emeritus, Lincoln Cathedral, will be performing Tournemire’s Improvisation sur le ‘Te Deum’, Saint-Saëns’ Fantaisie in D flat major, and Vierne’s Toccata.
Open to all, admission free.
A full programme for the term is available here.
Sunday Evensong Sermon series: No Shame in a Tutu – Sunday 19 June, 6.30pm
Preachers at Evensong this term have been invited to explore some of the areas about which Archbishop Desmond Tutu was passionate, and to which he made a significant contribution. The preacher this Sunday will be Dr Claire Foster-Gilbert, Director, Westminster Abbey Institute. Her sermon addresses politics.
Open to all, admission free.
There will be no services in Chapel between Monday 20 June and Monday 26 June, inclusive.
May Concert – Monday 20 June, 8pm
This highlight of the College’s musical year. There will be contributions from St John’s Voices, the College Choir, Aquila and the Choral Scholars, and instrumental music, including oboe, violin, organ and cello solos. A wide variety of music will be heard – from Bach to Widor, from Schubert to MacMillan, as well as various lighter numbers. The concert will be followed by a wonderful array of refreshments in Chapel Court.
Please note that ticket applications have now closed.
Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Durufle’s Requiem – Saturday 25 June, 7.30pm
St John’s Voices joins forces with the London Mozart Players for a concert featuring Haydn’s dramatic and turbulent Nelson Mass (“Missa in Angustiis”) and Durufle’s hauntingly beautiful Requiem.
Open to all. Students: tickets £10 / £5 on the doors. Non-students: tickets £25 (main Chapel front), £20 (main Chapel rear) and £10 (Ante-Chapel, restricted view) from ADC Ticketing.
Evensong resume from Tuesday 28 June – daily, 6.30pm
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
Cambridge Nature Festival 2022 – running now until Thursday 30 June
From art exhibitions and wildlife safaris to landscape heritage walks, there are an enormous range of events to get involved in during Cambridge Nature Network’s Cambridge Nature Festival 2022. Many events are free and there is a small fee for others.
May Bumps – Friday 17 June, 1pm to Saturday 18 June, 5.45pm
The Lady Margaret Boat Club is presently taking part in the May Bumps, the biggest week of boat racing of the year. Maggie has had 10 boats and more than 80 students racing every day – so grab all the red clothing you own and head down the towpath for the last two days of the Bumps to support your friends from the river bank.
Space Mystery: A Mystery in Space – Friday 17 June to Saturday 18 June, 9.30pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
Ahead of going to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, preview performances of a play co-written and directed by third-year St John’s undergraduate Jasper Cresdee-Hyde, who is studying Human, Social and Political Sciences.
Disaster strikes aboard the S.S. Space Cruise upon the murder of intergalactic mobster Dead Pan. Prepare for a madcap adventure of illegal crime and amorous romance. Walking cliché DCI John Wood and over-eager Officer Love Interest must interrogate a motley ensemble to crack the case: mob boss Mr Fax, his femme fatale daughter Jessica, wizened war criminal Brookes, no-nonsense Captain and two escaped bandits who may have wandered into the wrong script. But which of them is a cold-blooded killer? A straight-talking farce from Cambridge comedians, it's a mystery... in space!
Open to all, tickets £5.
Palmerston and History Societies’ garden party – Saturday 18 June, 11.30am
Scholars’ Garden.
The societies’ annual garden party, with food, drink and live music.
Admission is free for members of the Palmerston Society and History Society and £3 for other members of the College.
Live lunchtime meditation – 1.15-1.30pm Monday to Friday (online)
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.
University of Cambridge Sport Awards – Monday 20 June, 1.30pm
University of Cambridge Sports Centre.
The annual Sports Service awards share and celebrate the success of the University sports clubs and those individuals within them and there are seven categories: Sporting Moment of the Year, Club of the Year, Outstanding Contribution, Sports Club Personality of the Year, Sports Person of the Year, Team of the Year and Unsung Hero.
Clubs and teams including several students from St John’s are shortlisted for this year’s accolades.
Find out more and apply for free tickets to the first in-person ceremony
Palaeography for beginners – Tuesday 21 June, 3pm
Weekly online sessions for anyone interested in reading handwriting from c1500-c1750, using documents from the College’s institutional archives.
Sessions are informal and aimed at beginners, or those with a little experience who wish to practice 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.
May Ball – Tuesday 21 June to Wednesday 22 June
Get ready for the St John’s May Ball, famously described by Time Magazine as the seventh best party in the world. The 2022 event promises to be bigger and better than ever before with BRIT Award winners Rudimental confirmed as headlining on the main stage in New Court, all you can eat food and drink and a world-class fireworks display.
Professional headshots – Wednesday 22 June, 10am-5pm
Student Services Centre, New Museums Site.
The Careers Service is hosting a photographer to take free professional headshots of students which you can use in portfolios, LinkedIn and similar profiles. These photos will be used in future Careers Service graphics as well.
Further details and to register
Service of Thanksgiving for the birth and legacy of William Cecil – Wednesday 22 June, 11.30am
Westminster Abbey, London.
St John’s alumnus William Cecil, 1st Lord Burghley, served as Principal Secretary and Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I for almost all her reign. During this time, he was the most powerful man in England. There was no aspect of foreign or domestic policy in which he was not involved. He was the man who made England function and was at the heart of all the drama of the times and his influence can still be seen today.
The Lord Burghley 500 Foundation was established to celebrate the quincentenary in 2020 of his birth and to create an educational legacy in his name. The Foundation has arranged a Service of Thanksgiving to take place at Westminster Abbey where Burghley was High Steward.
Open to all. Register for tickets
Upper Library open afternoon – Wednesday 22 June, 2-4pm
Upper Library, entrance via E staircase, Second Court, only.
The Upper Library is open for members of the College community and their guests every Wednesday 2-4pm during Full Term. Different items from the collections are on display each week and a member of staff will be available to answer questions.
(Note: drop-in visits are not available to the Upper Library via the Working Library this term.)
The Reading Room is open Monday to Friday for the consultation of Special Collections by appointment. Direct booking requests and enquiries to Special Collections.
Giving Day – Thursday 23 June to Friday 24 June
The first-ever St John’s Giving Day in aid of Dobson Free Places, the College’s ground-breaking initiative to secure world-class, means-tested student support in perpetuity.
See the news story above and visit the alumni website for further details.
Workshop on choosing a dissertation – Friday 24 June, 2pm
This workshop and presentation aims to provide students taking on a dissertation next academic year with some inspiration on choosing a dissertation topic or creating a shortlist of potential topics.
Zoom. Meeting ID: 772 922 6894. Passcode: 410795.
Open to all students, admission free. For further information email Rebecca Le Marchand.
Henley Royal Regatta qualifications – Friday 24 June, 7pm
Henley Reach.
The Lady Margaret Boat Club men’s 1st boat team will complete a time trail in a bid to qualify for the Henley Royal Regatta. The Regatta live streams the trials on YouTube.
More details on the Henley Royal Regatta website
Panel discussion: Transatlantic Perspectives of Covid-19 and Debt – Monday 27 June, 4.30pm
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building.
The University’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) and St John’s Fellow Dr Jodi Gardner will host a panel discussion including world leaders from the UK and the USA talking about the transatlantic experiences with Covid-19 and debt. Professor Frederick Wherry from Princeton University will discuss ‘The debts we did not see: what the pandemic exposed in the US’, Mae Watson Grote from The Change Machine will talk about ‘The great reprioritization of debt’, Dr Mia Gray from Cambridge University contributes her thoughts, and Professor Karen Rowlingson from York University will discuss ‘A tale of two pandemic experiences: Covid-19, debt and savings in the UK’.
Followed by a question and answers session with the audience and a drinks and canapés reception. Further details
Open to all, admission free: register for tickets
Careers Service Finalist Focus – Monday 27 June to Friday 8 July
The Careers Service is holding its Finalist Focus fortnight to help students with career plans after graduation. Highlights include a series of in-person careers workshops for wherever you are in your career planning, an online graduate jobs fair and opportunity to drop in and talk to the careers team. This is a great opportunity to discuss what’s next in a relaxed, informal setting.
End-of-term staff celebration – Friday 1 July, 4-7pm
Scholars’ Garden.
This drop-in ‘do’ for College staff will feature food trucks Wandering Yak and The Churros Bar, drinks and music.
Today is your last chance to register via Eventbrite but it’s only so the Staff Social Committee have an idea of numbers, all staff welcome.
Interdisciplinary conference on allegory in Greco-Roman antiquity – Wednesday 14 September, 12pm to Friday 16 September, early afternoon
Faculty of Classics and Old Divinity School.
Co-organised and presented by Dr Benedek Kruchió, St John’s Research Fellow in Classics, the conference aims to explore the many forms of allegory in the imperial period of Greco-Roman antiquity, focusing on their interconnectedness across cultural divisions and medial borders. Popular with Greeks and Romans, Christians, Jews, pagans, philosophers, theologians and rhetoricians, allegory provides a unique opportunity to investigate the complex processes of exchange between all these groups.
Papers will be pre-circulated; the discussions will be introduced by brief summaries and invited responses. Two lunches, a drinks reception, and coffee/tea will be provided.
Open to all and free admission for College and University members (all participants have to register).
Further details and register for tickets
Chariots of Fire charity relay race – Sunday 18 September
Sign up for the Chariots of Fire charity race – a route of 1.7 miles that winds its way through some of Cambridge's most beautiful Colleges and along the backs. You don't need to be a serious runner to take part and it's all in aid of a very good cause – Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (ARHC).
St John's is generously offering to pay the entrance fees for up to three teams of six runners, leaving you free to raise as much sponsorship as possible. Teams can be a mixed group of any gender and can consist of College students, staff and Fellows. If you are interested in taking part, please fill out the registration form. You can fill out the form regardless of whether you have a team yet or not. If you don’t, you’ll be put into one, but if you do please indicate the team name on the form. The application deadline is 25 August 2022, places given on a first-come first-served basis.
Please do not register online on the Chariots of Fire website if you want to be part of a College team. If you register online, the College will not be able to pay your fee.
Further details and registration form for a St John’s team
And finally…
The seventh best party in the world will be back after a three-year hiatus. College has been buzzing with activity this week in the lead-up to the May Ball and you will have all seen the carpets now blanketing the grass in the courts as the May Ball Committee supervise the preparations.
