Annabel Jenkinson reflects on her time at Durham University and St John’s College in the past three years as she comes to the end of her degree.
At the very end of June, I graduated from Durham with a Classics BA in a beautiful ceremony in the stunning cathedral. After getting ready, my first stop was the marquee on Palace Green to pick up my guest tickets and get my gown in the Pemberton Buildings just next door. Having my gown put on me was surprisingly emotional; the weight of the gown on my shoulders for some reason made me realise that I had finally done it, I had completed my degree and what a fantastic achievement that is for all us graduates. Up until then the reality that my time at Durham was coming to an end hadn’t sunk in as I had tried not to think about it for so long. Now in my gown, I went back to the marquee to have my photos taken in the Ede & Ravenscroft booth with my parents.
The ceremony itself begins in the Great Hall of University College where all the undergraduates gather and are placed in their pairs and line up in the courtyard before processing into the cathedral. Once seated, the organ piped up with some very grand music while the chancellor and staff members processed into the cathedral in all their splendid robes, hoods, and mortar boards. It was not only incredibly special to hear your own name and walk up onto the stage in the cathedral full of parents and other family members, but it was also fantastic to see your classmates graduating and celebrating all together everything we had achieved academically as well as reminiscing about favourite memories of our time at Durham. One of the highlights for me was at the end of the service where we all processed out of the cathedral with the audience, now on their feet, applauding us all.
After the ceremony, my department held a drinks reception in the courtyard of St Chad’s College. This was a lovely occasion to talk to and thank staff and spend time with your friends who could also then meet your family. Since Classics is not a huge department and I was the president of the Classics Society, it was a particularly nice occasion as I recognised almost every face, both student and staff. After this, my parents and I ended the day with a meal in the Cellar Door which was absolutely delicious!
Now I have graduated and left the doors of St John’s College for the final time as an Undergraduate, I wanted to share some of my favourite memories of my time here. First of all, I feel privileged to have been allocated St John’s College, not only because of the beautiful buildings and ideal location, especially since my department was on the Bailey, but because of the friends and opportunities that the College gave me. From conducting St John’s College Music Society choir for three years, which included a performance in the Cathedral, to working as an Alumni and Relations Intern, St John’s has offered me ample opportunities to develop new skills and make lasting memories and friends. What makes a college is the community and I could not have been any luckier with the community I found myself a part of in John’s. From your corridor mates to your close friends and the faces you see every day at meals, everyone in Johns’ is friendly.
I lived in college for my first and fourth year at Durham, and one thing I will not forget, other than the community, is the wide variety of potatoes. Any John’s student must surely remember the John’s potatoes. I was once told in Freshers’ Week that half of all the potatoes delivered to the Bailey colleges went to John’s, and, while this is surely untrue, it is remarkably believable. From potato waffles or hash browns at breakfast, to potato salad or chips at lunch, to spicy wedges or dauphinoise at dinner, St John’s College would always be able to provide the perfect potato for any occasion and to comfort any academic stresses.
On a more serious note, I thought I would share three of my favourite memories:
One of the most memorable moments of my time in St John’s has to be conducting in St John’s Carol Service in Durham Cathedral. There is no way to describe this other than a dream come true. I reformed the choir and increased its size and was very moved that I was able to create this little community with a shared love for music within John’s and perform one of my favourite pieces of music in such a beautiful building.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd7mSjb9oX0 (Skip to 11:20)
I will also never forget when I first came to St John’s as a Fresher. Queuing at the park and ride with other students in Bailey Colleges and driving through town with all the locals pipping their horns and cheering was quite an experience. I remember driving past all the Freshers’ Representatives and student bands in the street and then being met by my college parents outside John’s who took me through the front doors of college for the first time. I remember being overwhelmed by the effort Johnians made to cram Freshers’ Week full of activities and to make everyone feel welcome. Despite my concern after my parents left a few days later, there was hardly a moment to feel homesick and there was always someone, either student or staff, there for you if there were any issues. Soon enough, St John’s and its community started to feel like a second home.
Finally, how can any Johnian’s selection of favourite memories not include St John’s famous Bailey Ball? Despite COVID, I was lucky enough to have three Bailey Balls while at Durham, my final one being my favourite. I love a good party and getting dressed up, and John’s Bailey Ball is the perfect time for this. I remember being incredibly excited for the first one and seeing college decorated for the event. Despite my best efforts (and a hot chocolate and biscuit break with some friends half-way through the night!) I did not last until the survivors’ photo and pizza breakfast in my first year. However, I made up for this in my third and fourth years! I remember college being filled with fun activities such as crazy golf, live bands, chocolate fountains, food trucks and a silent disco. Durham balls from time to time have a bucking bronco, however, I was surprised at the most recent Bailey Ball to find a bucking penguin!
More important to me than specific memories of my time in John’s are the little things. Going to the Bailey Room and playing table football until the early hours in first year, chatting with everyone and anyone at mealtimes, going to the bar with choir or friends. It is these special, but everyday things that made John’s feel like my home for 4 years. When I met some alumni who came back to visit college they remembered similar things about the community and said it felt like they never left. I hope when I come back to visit I feel the same way.
So, while I started this article with the intention of answering the question “what has your experience at Durham done for you?” I respond by asking “what has Durham not done for me?” My advice to incoming Durham students and Johnian’s – throw yourself into everything that Durham has to offer.
John's Chronicle 