College bulletin: 9 February
This week we learned that the collective noun for flamingos is flamboyance, that you all excel at ignoring a drone flying overhead, and that a new College society is being launched.
Anyone who has any news or events they’d like us to consider including in the College bulletin should email us.
College news
Impact of climate emergency on pregnant women explored thanks to £2m funding
A group of 700 pregnant women in The Gambia will be studied as part of a collaborative research project examining how high temperatures where they live affect them and their babies.
Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, Professor in Fetal and Placental Physiology and a Fellow of St John’s College, is one of the leaders of the study.
The big question
A team of scientists including Professor Mete Atatüre, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory and a Fellow of St John’s, are working to expand understanding of the Universe’s fundamental structure.
The Cambridge researchers are working with colleagues from around the world on the new Axion Longitudinal Plasma Haloscope (ALPHA) project to identify the composition of dark matter.
Fellow highlights importance of early cancer diagnosis
Professor Richard Gilbertson, Director of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Major Centre and the CRUK Children’s Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, and Fellow of St John’s, has been interviewed on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire following King Charles’s cancer diagnosis.
Following this week’s news that the disease affecting the King has been caught early, Professor Gilbertson discussed the difference this makes to a patient’s prospects and how it is central to treatment.
Listen on BBC Sounds at 1:52:34 (BBC account required).
Chance to win photography and film prizes
The College’s PhotoSoc has launched a photography competition for all members of St John’s.
Entrants are invited to submit their best photograph of St John’s or Cambridge to be in with a chance of winning one of five camera and/or film bundles up for grabs. The photo can be film, digital or just taken on a phone camera.
If you're interested in developing your own film using the College’s darkroom and the PhotoSoc’s free materials, email Imogen.
Open to all College members, maximum one entry per person. Email entries to Imogen. The deadline for submission is midnight on Friday 15 March.
Get ready for upcoming Student Art and Photography Competition 2024
Prizes of up to £200 will be up for grabs in this year’s St John's College Student Art and Photography Competition.
The Library will be accepting entries of photographs, paintings, prints, digital films, sculptures, ceramics, textiles and jewellery between 22 and 26 April 2024.
PhD student accepted onto young scientist programme for disaster risk work
Ellen Kujawa, who is in the third-year of a PhD in Geography (Science) at St John’s, has been admitted to an international science scheme for her research into hurricanes in the Caribbean.
She has been selected for the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Young Scientists Programme for her proposal, Power, knowledge, and hazards across borders: Hurricane forecasting and geographies of information in the Caribbean.
The IRDR is an international science programme co-sponsored by the International Science Council and United Nations Office, which promotes a better understanding of disaster risk and effective use of risk science in decision-making. Ellen has received a letter of congratulations from Heather Hancock, Master of St John’s.
New Gardens Society to launch
A new Gardens Society for all at St John’s is being launched at an inaugural meeting in the Master’s Lodge this month.
College members from across the community are invited along to find out more, get involved, help shape the programme of events, and for an update on exciting plans to create new College gardens, improving biodiversity and making more space for everyone to enjoy.
The first meeting takes place in the Master’s Lodge on Tuesday 20 February, 6pm.
Email Sarah Mansfield if you plan to attend.
Siblings to run Cambridge Half-Marathon in aid of Ukraine charities
A brother and sister who are PhD students at St John’s will be putting down their pens and picking up their running shoes to raise money in support of Ukraine.
Delphi and Laurence Mayther will be competing in the Cambridge Half-Marathon on Sunday, 3 March. It will be the first time Delphi, who is doing a PhD in Slavonic Studies, and Laurence, who is doing a PhD in Pure Maths & Math Stats, have run a race of that distance.
The duo are running in support of United24, a fundraising initiative set-up by the President of Ukraine to provide support for the nation. Sponsors can choose the area they wish to support – such as Humanitarian Demining, Medical Aid, Education and Science, and Rebuilding Ukraine. All donations made to Delphi and Laurence’s appeal will go to United24.
To pledge donations, complete the half-marathon fundraising form.
All donors will receive an email confirming Delphi and Laurence's successful completion of the race and asking them to pay their pledged donations direct to United24.
Latest College sport fixtures and results
St John’s sportsmen and women were victorious in netball, football, hockey and tennis this week, with one draw and one loss in the hockey league matches.
This weekend’s fixtures will see the men’s first rugby team take on CCK (Corpus, Christ’s and King’s) at Corpus Playing Fields tomorrow, while the men’s first football team will be playing in the Cuppers quarter-final against Jesus on Sunday at St Legends, where mixed hockey league games are also taking place. Supporters are welcome for all matches.
Visit College sport – fixtures and results 2024 (login required), compiled by The Eagles’ and Flamingos’ Clubs, for full details.
Know when to move on
The huge popularity of the College’s Cafe and Buttery means it can be tricky to get a table at peak times. So do remember to vacate tables during busy periods if you are not eating or drinking so that other members can sit down to enjoy their meals.
Food or drink bought from external outlets are not permitted and as our prices are incredibly competitive there is actually no reason to go elsewhere.
What’s on
Chapel
Evensong to mark the centenary of George Guest’s birth – Friday 9 February, 6.30pm
Tonight’s service of Evensong celebrates the centenary of George Guest’s birth. Guest served as the College’s Director of Music from 1951 to 1991 after completing an organ scholarship at St John’s. He revolutionised the Choir and created its distinctive ‘St John’s Sound’. The Choir will sing music by Elgar, Howells, and Ireland, and a drinks reception will follow the service.
Student Communion – Sunday 11 February, 8.30am
Gather in the small chapel in the Ante-Chapel for a half-hour service of Holy Communion (aka the Eucharist) with sermon, then go to Hall for cooked breakfast (which is subsidised).
Organ recital – Sunday 11 February, 6pm
Katelyn Emerson, research student at Gonville & Caius, plays Alcock, Langlais and Bairstow. Open to all, admission free.
Evensong with Sermon – Sunday 11 February, 6.30pm
The third instalment of this term’s sermon series, ‘Three Epiphanies and Four Laments’, is titled ‘The Baptism of Jesus’. The sermon will be delivered by The Rt Rev’d Graeme Knowles, Honorary Assistant Bishop at St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The Choir will sing music by Sheppard and Howells.
Joint Evensong by St John’s Voices and Emmanuel College – Monday 12 February, 6.30pm
St John’s Voices joins forces with the Choir of Emmanuel College for a service of Evensong including music by Howells, Chesnokov, and Frank Martin.
Shrove Tuesday Evensong – Tuesday 13 February, 6.30pm
Sung by the choristers of The Choir of St John’s College.
Shrove Tuesday Compline – Tuesday 13 February, 10pm
Compline returns, sung by the Chaplain and lower voices of the Choir. This peaceful, candlelit service provides a moment of calm reflection to mark the end of the day, and there is port and hot chocolate afterwards. Open to College members and their guests.
Ash Wednesday Holy Communion – Wednesday 14 February, 8.15am
All members of the College are invited to attend a short Holy Communion service for Ash Wednesday. The cross of ashes placed on the forehead will be offered to those wishing to receive them.
Ash Wednesday Evensong with Sermon – Wednesday 14 February, 6.30pm
The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. The service will include stunning music; Allegri’s Miserere mei, Deus, which features an iconic treble solo, and Byrd’s Ne Irascaris, Domine. The cross of ashes placed on the forehead will be offered to those wishing to receive them.
From the Desert to the Cross: A Lenten Meditation – Saturday 9 March, 6pm
A popular service of readings, poetry and music for Lent and Passiontide.
All Fellows, staff and students are warmly invited to attend this poignant and reflective service, and to bring up to three guests. Tickets are free and priority is given to members of the College and their guests.
The deadline to apply for tickets is this Monday 12 February.
For all other regular services, see the Chapel webpage.
Other events
‘Voyage’: the music of Abba – Friday 9 February, 10.15pm
Bar.
Following last Friday’s mass Taylor Swift sing-a-long in the Bar; tonight will see ‘Voyage’ –an hour dedicated to the music of Abba.
Open to all, admission free.
Talk by Annabel Darlow KC – Saturday 10 February, 1pm
Lightfoot Room, Old Divinity School.
The Winfield Society, the College’s law society, is hosting this talk with guest speaker Annabel Darlow KC, the first woman from St John’s to become a KC (King’s Counsel). Her practice has an emphasis on fraud and multi-handed homicide and terrorism, and Annabel has dealt with high-profile cases in these areas.
This talk is an opportunity to learn what a career at the Bar is like and hear about Annabel's journey and experiences. Her talk will be followed by the chance to ask questions and network.
Open to students from all Colleges, free to attend but please register your interest.
Exhibition, St John's College Old Library 1624-2024: A Celebration of 400 Years – Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm
Library Exhibition Area.
View rare archives on display to mark four centuries since the Old Library was built.
Runs until 19 April.
Drop-in dissertation support group – Monday 12 February, 2.30-4pm
Library Seminar Room.
Weekly group run during term by Harriet Edwards, Library Graduate Trainee, offering an informal setting for students to work on their dissertations and coursework alongside fellow students going through the same thing.
There is support, encouragement and the opportunity to ask questions about study skills such as researching, referencing and time management. The group is mostly for undergraduate students but postgraduates are also welcome if they think it would be helpful.
Email Harriet if you have any questions.
Quiz – Monday 12 February, 8.30pm
Bar.
Open to all, admission free.
Wellness walk – Tuesday 13 February, 3pm
Meet at the Great Gate.
A weekly opportunity to get outside and appreciate nature, the city sights, and enjoy companionship. The walks go to Stourbridge Common, along the Backs and around Lammas Land and are at a steady pace for about one hour.
The day of the walk alternates between Tuesdays and Thursdays. If it is raining heavily, it will be cancelled. For queries email Karen, Health & Wellbeing Nurse.
Open to College members and their guests, free to attend, no booking required.
Aquila rehearsal – Tuesday 13 February, 5.15-6.45pm
New Music Room.
Aquila is a friendly a cappella singing group for female students, Fellows and staff, led by Music Director Dr Chloe Allison. It welcomes new members – no audition is necessary, simply drop in to one of its weekly Tuesday evening rehearsals to try before joining.
For more information and events, visit Aquila’s Facebook or Instagram @johnsaquila
Pre-Dinner Lecture Series talk: Good vibrations: Travelling through time to unravel the mysteries of tactile sensory organs in bird beaks – Tuesday 13 February, 6.15pm
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building.
Talk given by Dr Carla du Toit, College Research Associate and member of the Department of Earth Sciences. The talk will be followed by drinks in the foyer.
Open to Fellows, affiliates and postgraduate students. Admission free, booking not required.
Pride in Poetry open mic – Tuesday 13 February, 8-10pm
Café.
Prose, pantoums and pronouns – an open mic evening with recitals of LGBTQIA-authored or themed poetry for LGBT History Month.
Sign-up if you would like to perform. Open to all members of St John’s. Free entry.
Old Library opening – Wednesday 14 February, 2-4pm
Enter via E staircase, Second Court.
Open every Wednesday afternoon in term time, view manuscripts and rare printed books from the collections in the Upper Library. Requests for material to be exhibited can be emailed to Special Collections and they will do their best to accommodate these during the term.
Open to College members and their guests. Admission free, no booking required.
Tour of the Old Library – Wednesday 14 February, 2pm
With Dr Adam Crothers, Special Collections Assistant.
Open to College postgraduates, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of the Sans Frontières events programme. Maximum 30 people, a second tour can be held at 3pm if visitors exceed the limit.
Admission free, no booking required.
Valentine’s Superhall – Wednesday 14 February, 7pm
Hall.
Open to all St John’s College students and their guests. Cost £25 (£30 for guests), register via Upay.
Tour of Herbert Smith Freehills's London offices – Wednesday 15 February, 10.30am-1pm
London.
A tour of the London offices of Herbert Smith Freehills, a full-service silver circle law firm, has been arranged by The Winfield Society (St John’s law society). The visit will include a tour, trainee Q&A, and networking lunch. Attendees must arrange their own transportation.
Open to all students. Limited places so early booking advised.
St John's College Music Society lunchtime recital – Thursday 15 February, 1.15pm
New Music Room.
Eleanor Mackey (violin), Jemima Ward (violin), Sassan Bhanji (cello) and Daniel Liu (piano).
Open to all, admission free, booking not required.
Linacre Lecture 2024 – Thursday 15 February, 5.30pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
This year’s Linacre Lecture, Air Pollution and Lung Cancer Initiation: The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning, will be given by Professor Charles Swanton, Deputy Clinical Director of The Francis Crick Institute. A drinks reception will follow.
Open to all University members. Registration ends today
Paleography for beginners – Friday 16 February, 3pm
Via Zoom (link below).
Weekly 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.
Sessions take place online using photographs of the documents. To join, or to make an enquiry, email the archivist, Dr Lynsey Darby. If you aren’t sure until the last minute, join anyway.
Open to all, admission free.
Rainbow Rave – Friday 16February, 8.30pm-1am
Fisher Building.
A night full of drag performances followed by a DJ set by Kætty Kätz. This event promises to present the perfect mix of lip-syncs, comedy, pure campiness, and naughty tunes to get you in the rave mood. Doors open at 8.30pm before the performances start at 9pm sharp. The DJ will take over the floor at 11.30pm until 1am.
Tickets are £5 and include a drink: buy tickets
Save the date
Fruity Films: Disclosure – Sunday 18February, 7.30pm
SBR.
Head along to the SBR film night for free snacks and showing of the 2020 documentary Disclosure, an in-depth look at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact of those stories on transgender lives and American culture. Part of the SBR’s LGBT History Month events programme.
Open to postgraduates. Free entry and snacks, no need to book.
Short Book Club for postgraduates, English Faculty and College staff – Monday 19 February, 5.45pm
Merton Hall Cottage (behind the School of Pythagoras).
Join Vona Groarke, St John’s Writer-in-Residence, to discuss February’s book, My Name is Lucy Barton (2016) by Elizabeth Strout. It’s a nuanced, unsettling and surprisingly tender story about family, and about the lives and relationships that succeed in climbing clear of a troubled rural childhood.
Newcomers always welcome. If you are interested in attending, email Vona.
Law society Freshfields workshop and Formal Hall – Tuesday 20February, 6-7pm (workshop), 7.15-9.30pm (Formal Hall)
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building, and Hall.
Hosted by The Winfield Society (St John’s law society), a trainee and an associate from British multinational law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, will be sharing their experience, a case they’ve worked on, and their roles.
Open to all students. Workshop free to attend, Formal costs £24 for a ticket with wine, £19 for a no-wine ticket. Limited places so early booking advised: register for the workshop and book the Formal via Upay.
Fruity Films: Moonlight – Tuesday 20February, 7.30pm
SBR.
The SBR is hosting a film night with free snacks and the chance to watch the multi award-winning Moonlight (2016), a story of a young African-American man who grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood. An LGBT History Month event.
Open to postgraduates. Free entry and snacks, no need to book.
Short Book Club for undergraduates – Wednesday 21 February, 7pm
Merton Hall Cottage (behind the School of Pythagoras).
In a break from the usual discussions of only books published since 2000, and to celebrate LGBT History Month, February’s Undergraduate Short Book Club will discuss Jeanette Winterson's groundbreaking memoir, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, (originally published in 1991).
Newcomers always welcome. If you are interested in attending, email Vona.
Dramatisation: David and Absalom – Wednesday 21 February, 7.30pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
With Professor Patrick Boyde, Emeritus Professor of Italian and Fellow of St John’s. Subtitles will be projected onto a screen to translate the Hebrew into English.
Open to College postgraduates, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of the Sans Frontières programme. Free tickets, booking will be required – details to follow.
Drageoke – Thursday 22February, 9pm to midnight
Buttery.
A night of glad rags, cheeky gags and queer flags hosted by a drag queen. In collaboration with the Bar during LGBT History Month, the SBR presents karaoke made queer with props, wigs and makeup if you fancy dressing up in drag before you hit the mic.
Open to all, free entry, no need to book.
Fruity Films: Paris is Burning – Monday 26February, 7.30pm
SBR.
Enjoy free snacks and the documentary film, Paris is Burning – a chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s. An LGBT History Month event.
Open to postgraduates. Free entry and snacks, no need to book.
Pre-Dinner Lecture Series: Finding Meaning in the History of Suicide – Tuesday 27 February, 6.15pm
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building.
Talk given by St John’s Fellow Dr Ella Sbaraini. The talk will be followed by drinks.
Open to Fellows, affiliates and postgraduate students. Admission free, booking not required.
Postgraduates Dine with Fellows – Wednesday 28 February, 7.30pm
Hall.
Open to College postgraduates. Attendance at Postgraduates Dine with Fellows events is restricted to one event per academic year.
Free of charge, limited places, register via Upay.
LGBTQIA+ panel discussion – Wednesday 28 February, 7.30pm
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building.
To conclude LGBT History Month, the SBR is hosting a panel and discussion event to bring together College members to share experiences and ideas of ways to support further inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people.
For more information email Rhiannon, SBR Treasurer, and SBR Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer.
Final round of the annual Winfield Moot – Saturday 2 March, 1pm
Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building.
Watch the final round of the St John's Winfield Society annual moot; a mock court hearing, where participants analyse a given legal problem, research the relevant law, prepare written submissions, and present an oral argument.
Open to all University members, admission free, no booking required.
Tour of the Chapel windows – Saturday 2 March, 2pm
Meet in the Ante-Chapel.
The story of St John in the College’s stained glass, presented by Professor Patrick Boyde, Emeritus Professor of Italian and Fellow of St John’s.
Open to College postgraduates, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of the Sans Frontières programme. Admission free.
Talk: How Cambridge works – Tuesday 5 March, 6pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
A talk by Richard Partington, Senior Tutor at St John’s.
Open to College postgraduates, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of the Sans Frontières programme. Admission free.
Graduate Research Symposium – Saturday 9 March, from 10.30am
Lightfoot Room, Old Divinity School.
This SBR’s all-day symposium will see presentations from 22 postgraduate students on a wide range of topics, from tiger conservation and solar energy to eating disorders in children. Research posters will be displayed in Central Hall and the event will be followed by a drinks reception in the SBR.
Email Ross Shepherd, SBR Academic Officer, for more details.
Open to College postgraduates, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of the Sans Frontières programme.
Short Book Club for postgraduates, English Faculty and College staff – Thursday 14 March, 5.45pm
Merton Hall Cottage (behind the School of Pythagoras).
Join Vona Groarke, St John’s Writer-in-Residence, to discuss the 2020 debut novel by Elisa Shua Dusapin, Winter in Sokcho, originally written in French and set in a resort town on the border of North and South Korea.
Newcomers always welcome. If you are interested in attending, email Vona.
Master’s concert series – Saturday 16 March, 8.45pm
Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity School.
With Annemarie Federle on the horn and Marie-Noelle Kendall on piano. To be followed by a drinks reception.
Open to College members and their friends, admission free, no booking required.
Tour of the University Botanic Garden and spring flowers – Sunday 17 March, 2pm
Botanic Garden.
Professor Tim Bayliss-Smith, St John’s Fellow and University Emeritus Professor of Pacific Geography, will lead a two-hour walking tour of the Botanic Garden.
Open to College postgraduates, Fellows, Visiting Fellows and their guests as part of the Sans Frontières programme. Students should bring their University cards for free entry. Maximum 25 people. Further details to be confirmed.
And finally
Congratulations if you made it all the way to the end of this week’s College novella – you must be buzzing.
And congratulations to everyone who studiously ignored the buzzing from the drone that has been flying around College for the past couple of days capturing aerial footage for the forthcoming College website.
