St John's College News
Tom Holland to speak at Classical Society Event
Tom Holland to speak at Classical Society EventAcclaimed author and Classicist Tom Holland will be in conversation with the St John’s Classical Society at an event held in College this week.Tom Holland, award-winning British author, presenter and documentary producer, will be interviewed about his most recent book, Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar, “the portrait of a family that transformed and stupefied Rome”, as well as…read moreCambridge students tread the boards in professional theatre
Cambridge students tread the boards in professional theatreTwo aspiring actors at St John’s College are “going pro” on Wednesday 10 February as a production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure opens at the Cambridge Arts theatre.The play is being staged by one of the University of Cambridge’s leading drama groups, the Marlowe Society, and celebrates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. The Society, which aims to nurture talent in the student…read morePrimary school kids “graduate” at the University of Cambridge
Primary school kids “graduate” at the University of CambridgeMore than 50 school children from six different primary schools in the East of England have celebrated a graduation ceremony at St John’s College, Cambridge, after completing the Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme.The Brilliant Club is an award-winning educational charity which exists to widen access to highly-selective universities for pupils from all backgrounds. The Scholars Programme is a…read moreJohn’s Ultimate Frisbee team clinches victory in the College League
John’s Ultimate Frisbee team clinches victory in the College LeagueThe Ultimate Frisbee team have come out on top of the College League after beating Downing College in a highly competitive final.Ultimate Frisbee originated in the United States in the 1960’s and is a passing game not entirely dissimilar to netball. The seven-a-side sport with mixed teams is non-contact and players must not drop the disc or take steps whilst holding it. Points are…read moreNewell Classics Event to be held at St John’s
Newell Classics Event to be held at St John’sThe inaugural Newell Classics Event, celebrating the classical world, is to take place at St John’s College.The event, open to students and the public, will present authors Ali Smith and Charlotte Higgins in conversation.Award-winning Scottish novelist Ali Smith, who lives in Cambridge, will discuss her engagement with classical literature – in particular Horace, Ovid and Homer – with Charlotte…read moreStudents from schools in Lambeth find out about university from St John’s undergraduates
Students from schools in Lambeth find out about university from St John’s undergraduatesA group of 70 bright, young pupils from schools in the London Borough of Lambeth have visited St John’s College, Cambridge, to find out from current undergraduates what studying at the University of Cambridge is really like.While at the College the students attended university-style academic sessions on themes ranging from polymers to fortune telling in the Middle East and from diagnostic…read moreCollege poet releases debut collection to critical acclaim
College poet releases debut collection to critical acclaimAdam Crothers, Northern Irish poet and Library Assistant at St John’s College, is releasing his debut poetry collection on 28 January to glowing reviews. Several Deer, published by Carcanet, is a collection of over 60 poems on the themes of destruction, consumption, misogyny, gods, sex, failure and music. The poems have a range of influences from Bob Dylan and Lana Del Rey to Emily Dickinson…read moreFilm series on Sex, Secrets and Lies to be screened at St John’s in February and March
Film series on Sex, Secrets and Lies to be screened at St John’s in February and MarchA series of films exploring the theme of sexual secrets and deception, including The Wicker Man, Prudence and the Pill and Seksmisja, is to be shown at St John’s as part of the Reproduction on Film series which takes place before and during the city’s famous Science Festival.The Reproduction on Film series is to be shown at St John’s College in February and March, and the theme this year is Sex,…read moreGenetic ‘paint box’ shuffled between butterfly species to create new wing patterns
Genetic ‘paint box’ shuffled between butterfly species to create new wing patternsResearch finds independent genetic switches control different splotches of colour and pattern on Heliconius butterfly wings, and that these switches have been shared between species over millions of years, becoming “jumbled up” to create new and diverse wing displays.New research on butterfly genomes has revealed that the genetic components that produce different splotches of colour on wings can…read moreAbandoned College bicycles donated to local charity
Abandoned College bicycles donated to local charityAbandoned bikes left at St John’s College, University of Cambridge, are being donated to a charity that provides opportunities for disadvantaged and disabled adults. After being repaired, the bikes are shipped to Africa where they provide an invaluable resource for communities with limited access to transport.Unwanted bicycles that have been left at St John’s College, Cambridge, are helping…read moreWhat’s in a Name? (Or, what has Pythagoras got to do with this anyway?)
What’s in a Name? (Or, what has Pythagoras got to do with this anyway?)It is generally thought that the School of Pythagoras acquired its name during the seventeenth century. At the time of its purchase by Walter de Merton in 1270, the building is recorded in the deeds as “the stone house in which Eustace, father of Richard Dunning, formerly dwelt”, but by the mid-fourteenth century, allusions to the ‘Stone House’ in official documents had been largely replaced with…read moreCambridge student organises charity concert to raise money for Alzheimer’s research
Cambridge student organises charity concert to raise money for Alzheimer’s researchA charity concert to raise money for BRACE Alzheimer’s Research is to be held at St John’s College, University of Cambridge, on Saturday 23 January. The event has been organised by brilliant young violinist and second-year music student at St John’s, Julia Hwang. Internationally-renowned violinist, Julia Hwang, has organised a charity concert to take place at St John’s College, Cambridge, on…read moreJohnian Poet Sarah Howe wins TS Eliot prize for debut collection
Johnian Poet Sarah Howe wins TS Eliot prize for debut collectionJohnian and former Harper-Wood Student, Sarah Howe, has won the 2015 TS Eliot prize for poetry with Loop of Jade - the first time a debut collection has won the prestigious award. After being shortlisted along with nine of the biggest names in poetry, including Don Paterson, Claudia Rankine, Sean O’Brien and Les Murray, Sarah was presented with the award during a ceremony at the V…read moreSpooks and spiders: Pythagoras and the foundations of Newnham College
Spooks and spiders: Pythagoras and the foundations of Newnham CollegeIn 1870, a small group of academic thinkers, including the philosopher, Henry Sidgwick (1838-1900), began to provide lectures to women in Cambridge. The popularity of the ‘Lectures for Ladies’ series meant that arrangements were quickly made to accommodate those women who lived too far away to attend the lectures on a daily basis. In 1871, Sidgwick rented a house on Regent Street for the use of…read moreStaff at St John’s put on Christmas for disadvantaged families
Staff at St John’s put on Christmas for disadvantaged familiesFamilies in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk who struggle to make ends meet at Christmas were treated to a Christmas-Day dinner and Santa’s grotto with the help of Ray Stevenson, Manager of the Buttery and trustee of the Crack On Foundation.Money to make the day possible was raised from staff at St John’s, local shops and supermarkets and the general public.Proceeds from the College’s annual raffle for…read moreJohnians in 2016 New Year Honours List
Johnians in 2016 New Year Honours ListThe College would like to congratulate the following Johnians, who are among those featured in the New Year Honours List 2016.Sir Nicholas James Forwood (1966), Judge at the European Court of Justice (Door Tenant, Brick Court Chambers from October 2015). Knight Bachelor (Kt). For services to justice.Sir Harpal Singh Kumar (1983), Chief Executive, Cancer Research UK. Knight Bachelor (Kt). For…read moreDr Francesca Vella to be part of research network to investigate 19th-century Italian opera on a global scale
Dr Francesca Vella to be part of research network to investigate 19th-century Italian opera on a global scaleDr Francesca Vella, a Research Fellow in Music at St John’s, will be part of a project starting in February 2016 to investigate the 19th-century Italian Opera Industry, exploring existing ideas on the relationship between music and national identity. Dr Vella will lead the three-year project, titled ‘Re-imagining Italianità: Opera and Musical Culture in Transnational Perspective’, in…read moreChristmas Letters from a Second World War prison camp
Christmas Letters from a Second World War prison campMoving letters sent by the academic John Crook while he was a prisoner at the notorious Stalag Luft VIII-B camp in World War II reveal his indomitable spirit and brave resolve to remain positive for the sake of loved ones back home.Christmas letters written by the Cambridge academic John Crook while he was a 22-year-old POW during the Second World War are being placed online by St John’s College…read moreWordie team reach South Pole
Wordie team reach South PoleA team featuring members of the family of James Wordie, the St John’s alumnus who was geologist and chief scientific officer on Shackleton’s ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917, have reached the South Pole, completing their ancestor’s unfinished expedition to the frozen continent. The group of 12, led by noted explorer David Hempelman-Adams, walked and skied the final…read moreComposer wins award for St John's Advent carol
Composer wins award for St John's Advent carolMichael Finnissy, the composer of the carol John the Baptist which was commissioned by St John’s for Advent 2014, has won two British Composer Awards - one of them for the carol itself.The carol John the Baptist was the winning piece in the Liturgical Category of the British Composer Awards presented by BASCA, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and sponsored by PRS for…read moreUnderstanding the Rise of Political Englishness
Understanding the Rise of Political Englishness‘Understanding the Rise of Political Englishness, c. 1990-2015’27 November 2015, Old Divinity School, St John’s College, Cambridge.A group of leading political thinkers, historians and commentators gathered at St John’s on 27 November 2015 to examine the intensifying political debate over what it means to be English, and the implications that may have for the country’s future.The participants…read moreProfessor Mete Atatüre is one of Turkish GQ Magazine’s Men of the Year
Professor Mete Atatüre is one of Turkish GQ Magazine’s Men of the YearMete Atatüre, Fellow and Professor of Physics at St John’s, is one of Turkish GQ Magazine’s Men of the Year 2015 in recognition of his pioneering research in the field of quantum physics. The annual awards run by GQ, a men’s fashion magazine, celebrate influential men and women in a variety of areas including film, music, TV, science and politics. Other winners in 2015 include Norman Reedus…read moreSt John’s students help to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation
St John’s students help to raise funds for the British Heart FoundationStudents at St John’s have filled numerous wheelie bins, bags and boxes with their unwanted items to help generate cash for the British Heart Foundation. The University of Cambridge and Cambridge City Council are working together by participating in the Pack for Good campaign to help raise money for the British Heart Foundation’s lifesaving heart research and to reduce wastage. Bins and boxes…read moreExhibition tells the story of children's literature from medieval times to 1960’s
Exhibition tells the story of children's literature from medieval times to 1960’sFrom historic schoolbooks and traditional fables to classic adventure stories, and from poems and songs to riddles and picture books, an exhibition that showcases the highs and lows of children’s book publishing over seven centuries, opens for the festive season at St John’s College Library, University of Cambridge. An exhibition open for the festive season at St John's College Library,…read moreSt John’s students awarded scholarships, prizes and Fellowships
St John’s students awarded scholarships, prizes and FellowshipsFour St John’s students have been awarded prestigious prizes, scholarships and Fellowships by various academic institutions during September and October due to their outstanding work and achievements.Fourth year Physics graduate Steffen Illig was awarded the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Prize, which is awarded to PhD students nominated by their supervisors.…read more