College bulletin: 18 March
Welcome to the final (planned) College Bulletin of the Lent Term, we would have got this out slightly earlier but we’ve spent a lot of the day exclaiming loudly ‘isn’t the weather lovely?’ to anyone who will listen. Read on for the latest fundraising events members of College are taking part in to support the people of Ukraine and all the latest College news.
College news
Robots could produce solar fuels to speed up global shift to renewable energy
A ‘cyber-leaf’ designed and assembled using robots could help the world transition more quickly from climate change-inducing fossil fuels to green renewables, according to a new Cambridge study co-authored by a Research Fellow and an alumna of St John’s.
Experts on Covid-19, conservation, climate change and law elected as Honorary Fellows of St John’s
Four distinguished experts in the fields of public health, conservation, climate change and law have been made Honorary Fellows of St John’s College in recognition of their exceptional work.
‘Early coffeehouses brought people and ideas together – the Community Hub will do the same for St John’s’
Before tea eclipsed coffee as the nation’s favourite hot beverage, the exotic Turkish drink was exported to England and coffeehouses spread across London and beyond. We look at the St John’s connection with the bean that powers so many of us through our day – and finds out the latest news on the College’s Community Hub.
The lost souls of Hart Island
Sally Raudon is a social anthropologist and PhD student at St John’s whose research into what happens to the dead of New York City – especially the poor – saw her doing fieldwork in the pandemic. She talks about mass burials, rituals of grief, and more.
Memorial service to be held for Professor Roger Griffin
A memorial service for Professor Roger Francis Griffin, BA, PhD, ScD, Fellow of St John’s College and Emeritus Professor of Observational Astronomy, will be held in St John’s College Chapel on Saturday 14 May 2022 at noon.
St John’s musicians to perform in fundraising requiem for Ukraine
Musicians from across Cambridge are performing the Brahms German Requiem tomorrow (Saturday March 19) at 3pm to show support for Ukraine. Unlike other Requiems, this piece focuses on comforting the living, as well as mourning the dead.
Professor John Kerrigan – French Horn, Sophie Kirk – viola, and Tom Butler – Baritone solo are all from St John’s and will be taking part. Singers and instrumentalists are donating their time plus a minimum of £20 to participate.
The performance can be watched via livestream and the event can be sponsored via their Just Giving page. The recording will continue to be available, after the event, using the same link.
Gig to organised to support Ukraine
A music festival is being held in the Old Divinity School on Monday 21 March in support of Ukraine.
The Help Ukraine Gig has been organised and supported by Jambridge, Cambridge University’s Portuguese, Ukrainian and Polish Societies, PMT and St John’s, and all from tickets and drinks will be donated to charities supporting Ukraine. The event takes place from 6-10.30pm and the line-up features six acts.
St John’s competes in quarter- finals of University Challenge
A team from St John’s, including an obligatory eagle mascot called Maggie, battled against Reading University for a place in the semi-finals of University Challenge.
Students selected for Lightweight Boat Race crews
St John’s students Gemma King and Harry Fieldhouse have been named as members of the Cambridge University Boat Club Lightweight crews in the 2022 Boat Race.
The 2022 Interactive Investor Lightweight Boat Races take place this Sunday 20 March – the women’s race at 1.25pm followed by the men’s at 2.25pm.
Women’s crew member Gemma, who is in the fourth year of her Natural Sciences Tripos, also competed in the Lightweight women’s boat last year with her identical twin sister Catherine, who is at Gonville & Caius. Lightweight men’s crew member Harry Fieldhouse is in the fourth year of his Engineering Tripos.
The Lightweight Boat Race was founded in 1975 by Richard Bates of St John’s College for smaller, lighter rowers to have a fairer chance to compete.
This year’s Lightweight Boat Races are back on the Tideway in London over the same championship course as the open weight University Blue Boat Races. Spectators can head down to the course on the Thames on Sunday to support our athletes as they race against Oxford from Putney to Mortlake.
The Gemini Boat Race 2022 takes place on Sunday, 3 April, with the Blue Boat women competing at 2.23pm and the men’s race at 3.35pm. Cambridge will be competing to retain its titles after winning both Blue Boat races against Oxford on the River Ouse, Ely, last year.
Photo credit: Nordin Ćatić.
Johnian rugby players to go head-to-head with Oxford in Varsity match
The battle of the blues will take place at Twickenham on Saturday 2 April. The top players from Cambridge will face Oxford on the pitch in the 150th anniversary of the iconic rivalry.
The final line-up is yet to be announced but there’s likely to be representatives from St John’s playing for the men’s and the women’s teams.
Tickets are priced from £15 are available for both matches.
Good luck, Cambridge and our St John’s players!
Dean of Chapel on Radio 4
The Rev’d Dr Mark Oakley, Dean and Fellow at St John’s, was a guest speaker on BBC Radio 4 talking about metaphysical poet and preacher John Donne's complex faith life through his poetry.
In Belief in Poetry, poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama talked with Dr Oakley, himself a writer and poet; Julie Sanders, Professor of English Literature and Drama at Newcastle University, and Michael Symmons Roberts, poet and Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Become a University Proctor
The College has been asked to provide a nominee to join the University’s Proctorial Team from 1 October 2022 for three years, and would welcome expressions of interest from people connected with St John’s who meet the appointment criteria.
The ceremonial duties are well-known, but the role includes other elements, including oversight of University affairs through the Board of Scrutiny and other Committee work, and responsibilities in relation to maintaining good order at events, the Prevent duty and freedom of speech, University Clubs and Societies and the Students Union.
To qualify for the position, you must be a member of the Senate (either on the Roll of the Regent House or holding a Cambridge MA, other Master’s degree or Doctorate) of at least three years’ standing and should be keeping residence within 20 miles of the University Church and so be available in Cambridge when required. Also you should be under the age of 65 on 1 October 2022, and if you hold a University post you must not be planning a period of sabbatical leave in the next three years.
The current stipends for these Offices are: Pro-Proctor (for 2022-23) £7,994, Proctor (for 2023-24) £13,790, and additional Pro-Proctor (for 2023-24) £7,177.
If you would like further information about this role, please email the President.
Covid-19 updates
There are currently three cases of Covid-19 in College.
Covid-19 vaccination bus arrives in Cambridge – validate international jabs
A mobile vaccination service will be stationed outside Boots in Sidney Street from 10am until 2pm on Sunday (20 March) and again at the same times on Tuesday 22 March.
Medical staff will be able to administer vaccines and they can also validate international vaccinations so that they appear on the NHS system
Other news
Partnerships with Russia – University position
A number of faculties and departments have asked what the University's position is on maintaining links with Russian universities and academics. The University has decided to sever institutional links with Russian universities after the Russian Union of Rectors expressed its support for the invasion of Ukraine.
The university has made that existing individual research collaborations should be allowed to run their course. Government guidance is due to be published in the next week.
New think-tank for young change-makers holds first caucus
Young people from around the world met at the inaugural One Young World Cambridge Caucus hosted by St John’s College last Saturday 12 March.
The all-day event aimed to provide students with an engaging platform to collaborate and take meaningful actions to solve challenges faced in the community. The caucus acted as a think-tank and accelerator hub for young change-makers within Cambridge to have real-life, positive social impact.
Dr Jodi Gardner, a Fellow at St John’s, is the Senior Treasurer and Faculty Representative of the newly-founded society, One Young World Cambridge, and organised the caucus with the President, Choo Yi Kang. They were assisted by more than 20 students and alumni from Cambridge, including St John’s Part 1A Law Student Nanya Molokwu.
“They worked tirelessly throughout the year, engaging with potential partners, speakers and sponsors to ensure the success of this campaign/event,” said Dr Gardner. “They invited experienced local leaders, senior members of the University and change-makers to discuss and share the experience with more than 50 attendees across the UK and reach over 1,000 people online.”
The caucus covered topics such as increasing access to education, women in STEM, racial equality and justice and climate action. “Everyone at One Young World is exceptionally grateful for the generosity of St John’s for allowing the event to be held in the beautiful Old Divinity School. We hope to see you all next year for the second annual caucus,” added Dr Gardner.
Student Art and Photography Competition
Calling all St John's College artists – enter your work into the College Art & Photography Competition 2022. Entries of photos, paintings, prints, sculpture and film are all accepted and the deadline for submissions is 26-29 April 2022.
Student accommodation satisfaction survey
The responses to the ANUK Student Survey can be viewed on the College intranet and via the homepages.
Aquila concert
Thank you to everyone who came to the Aquila concert on International Women’s Day on 8 March. The retiring collection raised £167.15 for the UN Women appeal to support women in or affected by the war in Ukraine.
What’s on
Chapel
Evensong – Friday 18 March, 6.30pm
Last of the term.
The Sixteen Choral Pilgrimage 2022: Cambridge concert – Friday 18 March, 8pm
The critically-acclaimed UK-based choir and period-instrument orchestra The Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers, will be performing a concert in the Chapel including Hubert Parry’s moving Songs of Farewell, three short pieces by Campion, a selection of medieval carols and a new work by Cecilia McDowall.
Tickets £15-£35 (booking fees apply).
Brahms German Requiem – fundraiser for Ukraine – Saturday 19 March 3pm
Musicians from across Cambridge are performing the Brahms German Requiem tomorrow (Saturday March 19) at 3pm to show support for Ukraine. Unlike other Requiems, this piece focuses on comforting the living, as well as mourning the dead.
Professor John Kerrigan – French Horn, Sophie Kirk – viola, and Tom Butler – Baritone solo are all from St John’s and will be taking part.
Singers and instrumentalists are donating their time plus a minimum of £20 to participate. The performance can be watched via livestream and the event can be sponsored via their Just Giving page. The recording will continue to be available, after the event, using the same link.
Concert: Chesnokov’s All-Night Vigil – Saturday 19 March, 7.30pm
St John’s Voices will be joined by Cambridge University Chamber Choir for this 80-minute performance of Pavel Chesnokov’s All-Night Vigil.
Chesnokov was one of the most prolific composers of Russian choral music of the early 20th century; despite this only a tiny number of his works are regularly performed. Chesnokov’s music is heavily influenced by the aesthetics of the Orthodox Church, and offers a combination of austere grandeur and sumptuous richness.
The larger choir will be similar in sound to the original Moscow Synodal Choir of pre-Revolutionary Russia. The concert will be presented in Chapel ahead of being recorded a week later.
Tickets are £15 from ADC ticketing; £5 for students on the door only.
Student communion – Sunday 20 March, 8.30am
The last Student Communion of the term, followed by a subsidised cooked breakfast in Hall. The first Student Communion next term will be on Sunday 24 April, 8.30am.
Otherwise Choral services continue as listed on the website.
- 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.
Over the last two weeks of term the Chapel collections have been taken in aid of the Disasters Emergency Committee for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. If there are any further donation please put them in an envelope and drop off at the Chapel by Monday.
Other events
Bar Karaoke – Friday 18 March, 9pm
The Bar, BDR.
Bar Karaoke is back for the last day of term.
Play: The Student Union – Friday 18 March to Saturday 19 March, 7pm
Sir Humphrey Cripps Theatre (Cripps Court Auditorium), Magdalene College.
Written and directed by Jasper Cresdee-Hyde, a third-year Human, Social and Political Sciences student at St John’s, The Student Union is an original and interactive political satire exploring power, truth, and democracy where the audience votes for the ending. Jasper’s play was inspired by the likes of Succession, The Big Short and The Thick of It.
The shock resignation of the President of the Student Union sparks a succession crisis among the surviving sabbatical officers. Meanwhile, a febrile mental health crisis and the emergence of a mysterious, anonymous gossip blog threaten to destabilise the student community – and secretive plans are afoot at the highest levels of the university.
As candidates campaign and conspiracy theories run rife, how far will they go to succeed? And who will emerge victorious?
Tickets, priced £8 (£6 concs), are available from ADC ticketing.
Help Ukraine Gig @ St John’s – Monday 21 March, 6pm
Old Divinity School.
Music festival raising funds for charities supporting Ukraine. The line-up features Bee-sides, Chris Andrews, Future Theory, Bad Mfrs, Elephant Takedown plus a set from DJ Jonathan Bean.
Tickets priced £10-£21.50 (with or without drinks included)
Drop-in dissertation support group – Thursday 24 March, 2pm
Weekly online group run 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 if you have any questions.
Cambridge Festival – 31 March to 10 April
Choose from more than 350 free events and activities – both in person and online – that are taking place at this year’s Cambridge Festival across the city.
Organised by the University of Cambridge, St John’s-related events include Weigh Me the Fire: The Elements of an Old Library, an exhibition of treasures themed around the four classical elements of fire, air, water and earth in the College’s Old Library on Saturday 9 April.
View and book events
And finally…
Fame at last for John O’Sullivan, Fellows’ Butler at St John’s for more than 20 years, who was snapped by A Cambridge Diary as he walked across the Bridge of Sighs.
