Graduation

Arriving in September 2022, we dragged our suitcases across the hallowed steps of Memorial Court with excitement and uncertainty. Many of us had lingering memories of the disruptions of COVID from our last years at school, but Clare quickly became home - bonding over pizza nights, the Dress as Your Subject BOP, and late-night study sessions in the FML. We laughed over Clarification articles in the LCR and ended the year celebrating as one of Clare’s own coxed Cambridge’s women’s team to victory in the 2022 Boat Race. 

In our second year we moved beyond Memorial Court and witnessed Clare slowly re-open before us. While some mourned the loss of the Buttery tent and second bridge, we embraced the grandeur of formals in the Great Hall, savoured coffees in the River Room Café (instantly a student favourite), and spent long summer days in the Fellows’ Garden, which also saw the return of the outdoor May Play. Everyone found their place, whether in Clare’s rich musical scene—from CCMS concerts and choir evensong to jazz nights in Cellars (undeniably the best student bar)—or in sports, where we cheered “Bleed Yellow!” for Clare’s teams. 

Now, in our final moments at Clare, we see new faces mirroring our own and are reminded how quickly time passes. Yet some traditions remain - welfare donuts, Bridgemas carols, and Dean’s Port, to name but a few. And nothing is more sacred than the legendary sightings of Odysseus, the UL cat, outside Memorial Court. 

People come to Clare for many reasons—for its beauty, reputation, or proximity to Sidgwick site—but we remember Clare for the community. I couldn’t imagine my Cambridge experience anywhere else. And wherever we go, we will wear our yellow and red embroidered puffers with pride. 

Mia Da Costa – UCS President, 2024-25. 

To sum up our time at Corpus in a few words is no easy feat, and I wonder if I could ever do it justice. That’s what I came here to read about, justice and law, all bright-eyed and naïve. The same can be said for every Corpuscle, I’m sure: arriving on Matriculation Sunday, bouncing with nervous energy and ready to embark on a deep academic dive into their chosen discipline. Who could’ve foreseen the mischief that comes with it?!  

Corpus has certainly made headlines – and why shouldn’t we? Our food is delectable: we’ve celebrated formals capturing an array of themes and cultures, notably Eid with specially curated menus (and gift boxes of sweets for all our guests)! Not forgetting a classic weekend brunch. 

What’s more, there are the trials and tribulations we’ve got each other through: the time when Corpus Oxf*rd ransacked our home, and then two years down the line we crossed into enemy territory and defended our honour in the form of a wheelbarrow race. Even in the interim when we challenged our own staff to a kickabout, who would’ve thought our custom stash would’ve been outstyled by our goalie Chaplain in his cassock?! 

We’ve created a lot of core memories together for sure. Buzzed heads that broke our hearts. Broken legs that briefly stunted partying. Burnt macaroni cheese that can still be detected three years later in E-staircase. Being caught on camera sleeping in the library. Making history with the T-staircase party. A vandalised clock. Late night Jack’s trips. Stealing the foosball table from our elderly counterparts (MCR). Slacks that went wrong. And many more.  

Ultimately, I’d be wrong to forget that it’s the people who have made Corpus home – and don’t we have some characters?!  

Graduation is unlikely to be a goodbye for many of us, but rather a ‘thank you, laters’! 

Harley Summers, JCR President, Law Tripos,

As we wrap up our time at Fitz, it’s hard to believe how quickly it’s all passed. One minute, we were awkwardly trying to remember names during the JCRs ‘Meet your staircase’, and now we’re here - older, sleep-deprived, and still pretending to understand the finer details of our degrees.

There have been plenty of unforgettable nights. Fitz Ups came around every term - loud, messy, and always someone’s best night or worst decision. Fitzmas Formal let us dress up, eat Christmas dinner a month early, and watch someone inevitably go too hard on the wine after the fellows left. And who could forget the Marriage Formal - with costumes that probably shouldn't be mentioned again.

The buttery gave us Themed Tuesdays, Fitz and Chips on Fridays, and weekend brunches that made everything feel a little more manageable. Shout-out to the Cambridge College Brunches group, who ranked every brunch in Cambridge and still gave their own college second place. Poor form.

And of course, the Fitz Winter Ball - a glorious night of fun that, like our time here, ended far too soon.

Through it all, we worked harder than we ever imagined. There were late nights spent in Olisa, supervisors who asked questions not even ChatGPT could answer, and dissertations that made us question everything. But in those moments, we also grew. We learned more than we expected - not just about our degrees but about ourselves.

We came here in first year and made friends, and now, we leave with something that feels a lot more like family. Through all the chaos and calm, we found our people and made it work. Fitz may not have had the grand architecture of the central colleges, but it had something far more valuable - the people who made it unforgettable. Fitz gave us everything we expected - and probably more than we deserved.

Congratulations to you all and Billy Love.

Aaron Lardi, JCR Co-President 2023-24

Comprehensively capturing the Caius experience is an impossible task, such is its breadth and diversity. Humour me, therefore, as I give it my best effort through providing a few snapshots of the different conversations I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of during my time at Caius.  

Even if Freshers’ Week chat was somewhat repetitive (I couldn’t tell you how many times I was asked, ‘How long was the flight from New Zealand to the UK?’), it was tinged with that excitement that can only come from knowing you are collectively embarking on something truly special. Conversations during matriculation dinner, garden parties, and the freshers’ bop began to give us all a sense of the wonderful cohort we had landed in.  

Fast-forward to second year when the chat in Caius Bar, lubricated by Caius Happy Hour beverages, ranged from heart-to-hearts between close friends to vibrant discussions of the outcomes of a global year of elections. The stunning Northern Lights over Cambridge even prompted a few more existential reflections amongst Caians enjoying a pretty unique May evening.  

The last few terms of our time at Cambridge have seen conversations about finals, what’s next, and how fast the three years seem to have gone. There have even been a few shared silences. To some, these might reflect friends running out of things to say! But to me, such silences speak to the depth of the friendships that only something like the Caius experience can forge.  

I feel privileged to have been involved in these conversations and in the amazing Caius community that has fostered them. I look forward to the exchanges continuing regardless of where our lives may take us. 

Isaac Mellis-Glynn - JCR President 2023-24

We all began as silly freshers – wide-eyed, uncertain, and maybe a little too excited about free wine at Chaplain’s drinks. Nervously sipping from our glasses, we had no real grasp of the community we had stepped into.  

Over time, we grew – not just older, but bolder. The return of The King’s Affair and King’s Bunker, the relentless push for divestment from arms, and of course, Kingsfess, all stand as testaments to the passion and initiative of King’s students. The King’s Drama Society was reborn, and with it, dramatic flair returned to every corner of the College. On the pitch, the Cambridge Women’s Blues football team continued their incredible winning streak, powered by the remarkable talent of so many King’s students.  

Halfway Hall was our first true reminder that our time here was limited. Sitting beside our peers and fellows, we saw how far we’d come since matriculation.  

Days blurred into nights in the library, fuelled by the King’s coffee shop, bar water, and smiles from Pablo in the servery. Before we were ready, our final year arrived. Nights at Mash, Revs, and Lolas faded into memories, replaced with La Raza and “Maybe we should just stay in”. We rolled our eyes at freshers storming the College yet couldn’t help envying them with their adventures just beginning. 19^th birthday celebrations were replaced by celebrating job offers. And for those (most) of us not yet employed, perhaps the best gift is still to come: a moment to finally exhale and enjoy post-Cambridge life undisturbed by Covid. From freshers to finalists, we have all grown together. And no matter where we go from here, a part of us will always belong to King’s.

Dan Erwig, former KCSU Chair 

When I first entered Newnham, I was struck not just by the beauty of the buildings and gardens but by something even more powerful—its warmth. From the cheerful greetings of the porters to the instant sense of belonging extended by staff and students alike, I knew this was a place where community truly mattered.  

Choosing Newnham meant becoming part of a legacy, a lineage of trailblazing, inspirational women who have shaped the world in ways both quiet and profound. I knew I wanted to walk in their footsteps, but also to leave my own. 

While Newnham has always been a community in the truest sense of the word, I wanted to build a space within it that spoke to my own experience. As a woman of colour, I know the value of visibility, safety, and support and how transformative it is to feel seen. As BAME Officer on the JCR, I made it my mission to nurture that sense of belonging for other students of colour.  

Together we created Newnham’s first BAME Sub-Committee, a diverse team working to amplify underrepresented voices and ensure that our presence was not only welcomed but reflected in College life. 

I also ran Newnham’s inaugural BAME Formal. That night, surrounded by vibrant traditional dress, a menu infused with global flavours, and the wisdom of remarkable women of colour, was more than just a celebration. It was legacy in motion. 

As I leave Newnham, my hope is that these traditions grow and endure, and that every student who walks through those doors feels what I felt: the strength of community, the kindness of strangers turned into family, and the encouragement to be excellent.

With gratitude and hope for all those who come next: may you find your place, make your mark, and know you belong. 

Isabel Beresford-Cole, Newnham College

It doesn’t seem very long ago that we all arrived in Sidney gardens for the first time, enduring the chills of the Prep Week tent and the broiling College hall in our matriculation gowns, having birthday parties in Cromwell JCR and playing games into the night singing on Garden Court floor.

Whether traipsing down to delightful 8am fire drills, sharing raucous meals in the Hall, fighting through the Wednesday crowd at the bar, or leaving the library to join the people chatting in the Blundell smoking area in its heyday, we’ve got to know each other pretty well over the past three years.

To be fair, we had our share of mishaps: that ball pit at the May Ball last year claimed all sorts of paraphernalia; and not even SidBarn could draw a big enough crowd to revitalise the slowly dying Sidney bop. And how many of us have felt the stab of a concerned porter's gaze as they wander through the College library at midnight and see you doing the work you could have done earlier if that patch of grass bathed in sunlight in the Tennis Court Garden hadn’t been so attractive.

Whether friendships were formed in the JCR we painted (poorly) ourselves, on an outing in the rain on a cold morning, or in the upstairs room of Gardies, they have been for me and I hope for most of us the very best part of Sidney. Indeed, at our peak we had 20 percent of the year going out with people from Sidney. Sidney Love taken too far!

I guess it doesn’t feel so long ago that we arrived because Sidney has been a blur of malfunctioning lifts, early morning smoothies, and wonderful and eccentric people. I’m glad I got to spend my time at this crazy but beautiful place with you, and I am excited to hear about what you will all accomplish next.

Luke Nicholas, SSCSU President, English

Change is something many of us at Wolfson are familiar with – it is what brought most of us here. As we now approach our graduation, we once again embrace our old friend Change, reflecting on our journey and looking forward to the future.  

Wolfson itself has changed a lot since we first stepped through its gates. In 2024 we welcomed our seventh President, Ijeoma Uchegbu, having said goodbye to our President of seven years, Jane Clarke. Sadly, the College also said goodbye to our beloved Head Porter, Andrew Fowles, after his passing in February 2024. After over a decade at Wolfson, Andrew existed at the heart of College life. His warmth and kindness helped so many make a home for themselves here.  

In 2022 Wolfson welcomed students from the pilot year of the University’s new Foundation Year in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. This new course continued Wolfson’s legacy of championing students coming to education through non-traditional routes.  

Although occasionally forgotten about by Camfess posts, Wolfson contributes a lot to Cambridge life. Over the past three years Wolfson has added two blades to its collection, with students representing Wolfson in Blues teams across the University’s sporting clubs. Now in its third year, the WolfWords Poetry Anthology publishes the best poetry from members of the Wolfson community. Plus, the Wolfson Howler, Pub-Quiz, and Bops have kept Wolfson’s social calendar jam-packed! 

Although we bid farewell to Wolfson, it is not goodbye forever. As we take our next steps it is comforting to know, through all the change which is sure to come, Wolfson will remain our home away from home.  

 Olivia Kiely, BA English